The Yami in his corner
by lilyflower666
Summary: It was dark outside as a pale beam of moonlight snuck in through the window to rest upon a small boys face. This boy wasn't alone in the room though, leaning against the wall in the corner was a figure. Even if the figure in the corner knew he had no claim to the boy, you could tell by his posture that would soon change.
1. A pale beam of moonlight

**Hi, i'm Midnight! this is my first story, so please no flames. Reviews are very appreciated, and i do not own Yugioh.**

Chapter 1

It was dark outside as a pale beam of moonlight snuck in through the window to rest upon a small boys face. This boy had tricolored hair that rose in natural spikes upon his head. Though at the moment his eyes were closed, when they opened one would be struck with beautiful amethyst jewels, claiming most of his cherubic face.

This boy wasn't alone in the room though, leaning against the wall in the corner was a figure. You couldn't make out what he looked like, because his image was so blurred. The figure wasn't doing anything but staring at the sleeping boy, almost in a possessive way. Even if the figure in the corner knew he had no claim to the boy, you could tell by his posture that would soon change.

The boy stirred in his bed slightly, and as if he felt the eyes upon him he muttered out loud slightly.

"Go away; I'm trying to sleep, Grandpa."

The figure in the room became a little more defined as he chuckled quietly at the small boy's response to his presence. He respected his wishes none the less though and vanished into whatever void he had come through to begin with.

The boy settled into sleep once more, but not before muttering out a few more words, that he wouldn't remember saying the following morning

"Thanks, mou hitori no boku."

**Please review, Midnight. ;p**


	2. Bloody and bruised

**Okay, i promised myself i wouldn't update until next week, but i couldn't help it.**

**So here's chapter two, i don't own Yugioh, read and review, _please._ Oh, and i'm putting a note on the bottom that you probably want to read.**

Chapter 2

_Knock-knock._

This is what the small boy woke up to the next morning, as well as his Grandpa's voice.

"Time to get up Yugi, or you're going to be running to school again!"

The small boy, or Yugi as we now know him by, sat up and opened his eyes to reveal two very hazy amethyst eyes. It was very apparent that the boy was still half asleep.

Yugi glanced over into the corner of his room that he avoided going into the most. There was nothing different about this corner than any other in his room; it was just a feeling he got whenever he went near it. Like the temperature dropped even when it really didn't, he always got a strange chill from that particular corner. In any case Yugi stretched, ruffled his hair, and climbed out of bed to start a new day.

By the time Yugi was done getting dressed, eating breakfast, and taking care of his hygienic needs, he was indeed running all the way to school _again_. He made it onto the school grounds just before the gates were closed and locked. Though every time this happened, he had a sneaky suspicion that the janitor was waiting for him. After all, Yugi _did _have a long walk from the Kame Game Shop to school, nearly ten blocks.

Yugi managed to get to his locker and then class without attracting the attention of any of his usual tormentors. Yugi knew his luck wouldn't last as the school day went on, but he couldn't help to sigh in relief that he had at least survived the first part of the morning without a scratch. Yugi's tormentors always knew where, and when to find him, today wasn't going to be any different.

As Yugi was getting his lunch from his locker, Ushio and his gang found him trying to sneak off down the hall in the opposite direction. Of course they chased him, and by the time lunch was over, Yugi found himself sporting a small bruise on his jaw line and an empty stomach to go with it. Ushio had seen it as his duty to take Yugi's lunch and throw it out of a nearby window. Yugi still felt that lady luck was little on his side today, it could have been much worse after all.

Yugi returned to class, and sat the rest of the day through school, looking forward to going home. He knew he had food there that wouldn't be grabbed out of his hands and thrown out of a window. He also wanted to work on his puzzle, but he never brought it to school for fear of someone taking it.

He had received the puzzle from his Grandpa eight years ago, and it proved to be his biggest challenge, as he had to of yet, finish it. Last night he had gotten some idea of what it was supposed to look like. It was slowly taking on the shape of a pyramid, but with the loop hole being where it was on the puzzle, it looked like it was going to be upside down.

As Yugi was contemplating this, the school bell rang, signaling the end of the day. Yugi rushed from the classroom, quickly going to his locker grabbing his books and shoving them in his bag. Yugi hoped to beat the bullies out of school, but it seemed that lady luck didn't think he was worth her time any longer, as he saw them all waiting by the gates for him.

Keeping his head down, Yugi hoped to sneak past them. Just as he thought that he had made it, a hand roughly grabbed him by the neck of his jacket, and he was easily lifted off the ground.

"Where do you think you're going Shrimp? You need to pay up for missing your beating this morning." Ushio said, his foul breath hitting Yugi fully in the face.

Ushio dragged Yugi off to a random alley where he proceeded to throw Yugi on the ground. He then punched and kicked Yugi until he was a whimpering and crying mass of bruises, and a few bloody cuts upon his pale skin. By the time Ushio was satisfied with the beating he had given Yugi, it was quickly growing dark out.

Yugi struggled to get up as soon as he heard Ushio's footsteps fade away into nothingness. He managed to get to his feet, but found he couldn't stand straight due to the massive pain in his abdomen. Yugi struggled to get home as quickly as possible, falling a couple times along the way, as his Grandpa had to be very worried about him.

**Hi again, I'm changing the title right after I post this, because the title I have right now is more of what one would call a working title than an actual title. So if this story 'disappears' from your list, don't freak, I've only changed the title. Kay, that was my important note. Midnight ;p**


	3. Irritation

**Okay so as this story has been going on my computer I've noticed something. I've noticed that I might have made Yugi a little OOC towards Yami. You won't come across it in this chapter but you will in the next one. Also, i'm going to try to update every week, but not on the same day. I like to keep people on their toes, but enough chatter, on with the chapter.**

Chapter 3

Yugi had been right, no sooner had he walked in the door, was he greeted with a hug that made him instantly cry out in pain. His Grandpa let go and took a step back to look at him.

"Yugi, where have you be-" his Grandpa cut off his own sentence as he got a good look at his Grandson since he first walked through the door.

"Forget where, what happened? Who did this?" His Grandpa asked after overcoming his initial shock at the sight of his battered, bruised, and cut up Grandson.

"School bullies." Was Yugi's simple reply before making his way to the bathroom to get the first aid kit. He hated when his Grandpa saw him like this. It made him feel weak and helpless, not to mention that his Grandpa didn't need anything else to add to his blood pressure.

"Which ones?" his Grandpa asked following him into the bathroom, and looking with absolute horror at Yugi's _very_ black abdomen that just this morning had almost been pale again, from the last beating he had received. His Grandpa just didn't know why the bullies at Yugi's school couldn't cut his Grandson some slack.

"There are so many that I can't keep track anymore." Yugi lied, not wanting his Grandpa involved in his problems at school. He really didn't need another thing to make him feel weak and helpless.

His Grandpa just nodded before walking out of the bathroom, he was used to that lie from Yugi. Yugi was used to his Grandpa just taking the lie for what he was really saying, 'I don't want you to get hurt.'

After Yugi had finally patched up his last cut, the one on his jaw line that was on the opposite side of the bruise he had gotten at lunch time, Yugi wandered over to the kitchen to make a sandwich before disappearing upstairs to his room. The excuse he gave his Grandpa was that he had homework to do.

Once safely in his room Yugi took out his homework and started to work on it. Yugi was highly intelligent so it took him little over two hours to complete two essays, a chapter of algebra, and get the outline for his research paper done. Yugi stretched out his muscles, wincing a little because of the bruises, to get the kinks out before glancing at the clock and saw that it read 8:37 at night. Yugi pulled his puzzle to him and figured he would work on it until ten before calling it a night and going to bed.

As Yugi was working on the puzzle he felt that rippling chill he felt whenever he went near _that _corner. Yugi just ignored it at first, but something like that is hard to ignore when you feel eyes pressing into your back. Yugi turned in his chair to look around the room, his eyes focusing mostly on the corner than anything else in the room. When he didn't see anything, he turned back to his puzzle and tried to continue to work on it.

It was a fruitless effort, no sooner had he turned around, he felt himself being watched again. This time when Yugi turned away from the puzzle he looked around the whole room, trying to find the unnerving source that it was coming from. When he couldn't find it, he gave up and decided to take a walk downstairs to see what his Grandpa was up to.

His Grandpa was sleeping on the couch again, so with a sigh, Yugi went back upstairs, hoping that the unwelcome presence was gone. It wasn't, in fact it seemed a lot thicker in his room then when he had previously left. Yugi found it hard to breath, even if he knew somewhere in the depths of his mind, that this was only an illusion. The air hadn't changed, it hadn't become thicker, and it was only his imagination going haywire from being so tired.

Yugi decided that he didn't care that it was only 9:18 at night, he was going to bed. As he climbed into his bed, after putting on his favorite star patterned pajamas of course, he had a suspicion that changing in his bedroom probably wasn't the best idea. And of course, it had nothing to do with that fact that not only was his room chillier than before, but it also seemed to be pulsing in anger as well. Definitely couldn't be the reason for his uneasiness, most certainly not.

Yugi tossed and turned for two hours before making an exasperated sound. His bedroom was cold, angry, and watching him. Yugi couldn't get any sleep because of these simple facts and it was _really _starting to annoy him to no end. So in his annoyance he decided to do something that he definitely regretted almost instantly, he decided to talk randomly at the room. He never expected it to respond back to him.

**I forgot the disclaimer up there. I do not own Yugioh. Review please, and thank you to all those who have favorited and followed this story. Midnight ;p**


	4. The Yami in his corner

**I have 18 followers, so because of this specific number I'm updating! I do not own Yugioh, and this is the chapter where you'll notice that Yugi is OOC. (what do you guys think of my picture up in the left hand corner? Yay or Nay?)**

Chapter 4

"Is there a reason why you won't let me sleep tonight?" Yugi asked his bedroom out loud.

"I simply wish to know who put those bruises and cuts upon your skin." A deep baritone voice responded.

Yugi shot up in his bed; he hadn't been expecting anyone to answer him.

"W-who's there? I'm armed, so don't even think of coming any closer to me." Yugi said in a shaky and slightly brave voice.

"Armed with what? The pillow or blanket?" the voice asked with amusement in its tone.

"Lamp! I have a lamp and I'm not afraid to use it!" Yugi said reaching over and snatching it off of his desk. He then began to wave it in several different directions before the voice in his bedroom spoke again.

"Oooh scary, whatever will I do against a lamp? Oh I know, how about this?" The voice was very mocking before Yugi heard a snap of fingers and the lamp was literally yanked from his hands, and disappeared into the unseeing darkness, towards the corner of his room that he avoided.

Yugi turned towards that corner and fumbled with the cord to the blinds on his window before finally being able to grab them properly, and yank them down making his blinds go up, and illuminate his room in moonlight. It didn't help, he still couldn't see into that corner of his room, but he could see his lamp sitting on the ground by it.

"The light isn't going to help you see me Little One. I admire your effort though." The voice which he could now tell was definitely coming from that corner of the room, told him with a bit of boredom in its tone.

"Are you a ghost?" Yugi asked warily.

"No, and since I have answered your question, why don't you answer mine? Who hurt you?" there was a touch of anger to its voice now.

"School bullies, it's nothing I'm not used to. Are you planning on letting me sleep tonight or are you going to keep me up with your staring?" Yugi responded, before firing another question towards the corner of his room.

"I meant names, not a generalization. Give me the names of these 'school bullies' and I'd be more than happy to let you sleep." The voice sighed out before trying to make a compromise with Yugi.

"Know what, I'm not tired anymore. I mean who needs sleep really, it's really just one of those things that I can do without. Like going an entire day without running into a bully, you get used to it after a while." Yugi stated throwing his blankets off, grabbing a book, and trying to ignore the sudden chill that was enveloping the room as well as that pulse of anger that had just seemed to grow.

"What do you mean by 'going an entire day without running into a bully'? Why would you need to get used to doing without that?" the voice had barely concealed anger in its tone. Yugi had no problem telling where the pulse of anger in his room was coming from anymore, the answer was obvious. It was coming from the voice in the corner of his room.

"I mean that I've dealt with bullies all my life. I don't need a hero to rescue me, I just need to survive high school and go to a university where I will never see them again. So as good as you intentions might be thank you, but no thank you. I'm doing just fine on my own." Now it was Yugi's turn to be a little angry, which he made sure to put in his voice. Yugi didn't need anyone standing up for him, he had been a loner nearly his entire life. Why should high school be any different?

"Those bruises on your skin, especially your abdomen, disagree with your statement. Now names, what are they Little One?" the voice brushed Yugi's anger aside like it was nothing, before asking for the names of his attackers again.

"Why do you care? You're already starting to sound like them." Yugi said before he grabbed his blanket and pillow and slid of his bed.

"Where are you going?" the voice asked in a slightly confused yet curious tone.

"In the hallway, I figured since you wouldn't let me sleep in my own bed I might as well try to see if you can follow me out there. If you can, I'm going to sleep in the Game Shop tonight. One way or another mysterious voice in the corner, I'm getting some sleep tonight." As Yugi was saying this he made his way over to his bedroom door, opened it, finished his speech, and the door closed of its own accord before he could even take a step out of his room.

Yugi turned to glare at the corner, before turning back towards the door. Dropping his blanket and pillow on the ground he grabbed the handle and tried to yank it open. Yugi was exhausted when the door finally decided to open, sending Yugi flying back into his room, due to the fact that he had had one of his feet pressed against the frame in his desperation to get it open.

By the time Yugi sat up, the door had magically closed itself again, and the room looked as if it was shaking with mirth. Yugi was _so_ not amused, as he turned to glare at the corner in his room.

"The thing in the corner of my room really _is _a bully. I guess tomorrow I should expect a beating form it too. Gah, I hate being weak!" Yugi muttered under his breath, oblivious that the 'thing', could hear him.

"Thing? I'm not a thing. Just because you currently can't see me doesn't mean I don't exist, Yugi." The voice said in a disbelief tone.

"Well how about the Yami in my corner? Does that sound better, oh high and mighty voice?" Yugi responded sarcastically.

"Dark? It does fit doesn't it? Very well I'll allow you to call me Yami, for now." The voice responded, not seeming to catch onto Yugi's sarcasm.

"Hmph, whatever, will you go away now? _I want to sleep._" Yugi didn't want to pull out the weapon that he used on his Grandpa to get his way sometimes but if this voice didn't concede to let him sleep, now that it was going on two am, he would be left with no other choice.

"Names first, sleep after." Was the voice's, Yami's, answer.

Yugi snapped, lowering his head, he faced the corner before slowly lifting it up and hitting that corner of his room with watery puppy dog eyes.

"_Please let me go to sleep, Yami?_" Yugi asked in the perfect almost teary voice to go with his sad puppy dog eyes. A few seconds later and Yugi's room was completely his again. There was no eerie chill, no anger pulsing through his room, and no longer did he feel like eyes were watching him. Sighing with relief, Yugi grabbed his pillow and blanket and just crashed right there on the floor. Little did Yugi know that his problems with 'the Yami in his corner' were only just beginning.

**Oh, and I won't be updating again until I get at least 18 reviews. Seeing as it's only five more than I have now, I don't believe that's too much to ask. Also, again thank you to those who are following/favorited this story, though your opinions are valued too. Midnight ;p**


	5. Tying up the Demon

**You guys are so nice! You jumped 18 and went straight to 27. I don't own Yugioh, and you will definitely notice Yugi's OOCness in this chapter.**

Chapter 5

Yugi woke the next morning feeling oddly refreshed, considering he had only received roughly four hours of sleep. He looked over to study the dark corner in his room, where last night a voice had been emitting from. He shook his head, and decided to get ready to help his Grandpa with the Shop, as it _was_ Saturday. This also meant he had two days to heal before going back to school.

Yugi slowly dragged himself down the stairs to the bottom level of the house where the Shop was located. His Grandpa saw him before he even made the bottom step, and told him to return upstairs so his abdomen could heal more effectively.

"I'm fine Grandpa, besides I always help you on Saturdays with the Shop." Yugi said casually back. It didn't have much effect.

"No, I want you upstairs and resting Yugi. Why don't you try working on that puzzle you've been trying to complete for the past eight years?" his Grandpa said sternly, before making a casual suggestion of his own. Grumbling Yugi made his way back upstairs, he knew when it was a lost cause to try to persuade his Grandpa. Not even puppy dog eyes would work in this case.

As Yugi was walking back upstairs to his room, he couldn't help but feel that nothing was going to go right today. He opened his bedroom door, closed it and sat down at his desk to finish his puzzle. He only had few more pieces to go and he would be done.

As Yugi was pulling out the third to last piece of his puzzle, a familiar chill swept the room. He set the piece down, and made to turn around, but the chill was gone a quick as it came. Thinking he might have imagined it, he continued to work on the puzzle until there was only one piece left. He was finally getting it, his wish, after waiting eight years; he was going to be able to finally make his wish.

Sliding the last piece in he thought 'I wish I could make friends.' A brilliant light flashed out at Yugi, forcing him to shield his eyes. When the light had vanished, he took a good look at his new puzzle. Not even noticing the figure beside him, until it spoke up.

"Wow, after eight years, you finally finished it."

Thinking the voice was still coming from the corner Yugi turned to give Yami a piece of his sarcastic mind. The last thing he expected was to connect his eyes with piercing crimson. The crimson eyes were placed in a sharp angular face, with hair similar to his only with more blonde going up into the back of his hair.

Now no one can really blame Yugi for what he did next, I'm sure even you would have done something similar if you were suddenly confronted with a stranger who had crimson eyes in your room too. Unannounced and uninvited that is.

"Demon! Grandpa! There's a DEMON IN MY ROO-mph!" Yugi began to scream before being cut with a pair of slim warm objects strangely connected to his lips. Yami on the other hand did the only thing he could think of, without really thinking that is, to quiet Yugi before the elder two flights down _could _hear him. What was this brilliant plan? Why kissing Yugi of course! Unfortunately for Yami however, he had forgotten that he had replaced Yugi's lamp, when he had went downstairs earlier, back upon the boy's desk. So he was very surprised when a sharp and sudden pain connected with the back of his head.

Yugi stood over the other with the lamp still in his hand, panting heavily, before dropping it and running downstairs. He reached the Game Shop to find it empty, and a note on the counter about Dr. Hawkins surprising his Grandpa with a trip to Egypt. Groaning in frustration, Yugi went scavenging for some long rope. He found some in the storage area along with some duct tape and a metal bat. Grabbing all three items he rushed back upstairs to find the other trying to get up.

He didn't get very far before he was back down again, and this time he actually was unconscious. After all Yugi did just hit him with the bat in his hand. With the stranger now officially unconscious, Yugi proceeded to lift him up into his desk chair, where he duct taped his mouth, and tied the rope as tight as it would go around his torso and legs. After this was done Yugi sat himself upon his bed and waited for him to wake up.

After about an hour of boredom, Yugi _finally _heard a groan coming from the chair. He got off the bed and poised himself in front of the boy tied to his desk chair. When the boy was almost alert Yugi reached forward and ripped the tape off his mouth, none too gently, and threw it to the side. The other boy's eyes were wide open now, no sign of any drowsiness in them anymore.

"All right, I want answers. Who are you? How did you get in? Why do you sound like the Yami in my corner? WHY DID YOU KISS ME!?" the questions came spewing out of Yugi's mouth in a calm fashion, until the last one that sounded more like a scream that is.

"Why am I tied to a chair in a most uncomfortable way?" the boy asked ignoring Yugi's questions entirely.

"Intruders aren't meant to be comfortable! Now I demand that you answer my questions, because I have a bat and I'm not afraid to use it on you, _again_." Yugi nearly shouted, while waving the bat around in a threatening manner.

"Fine, I'm Yami, _you _let me in, again _I am Yami_, and as for the last question, because you were screaming at the top of your tiny lungs." Yami explained as he casually freed himself of the very tight bonds Yugi had placed upon him.

Yami stood up only to be pushed back into the chair by the tip of the metal bat in Yugi's hands. The bat didn't stay in Yugi's hands much longer, as Yami grabbed it out of them, effectively yanking Yugi closer as well.

"Now while I was out of it, I assume you told your Grandpa that there was a 'demon' in your bedroom?" Yami asked pulling a struggling Yugi closer, until he was seated upon his lap.

"Do you honestly think I would be up here _alone_, and armed with a _bat_, if I had told my Grandpa there was a stranger in my room?" Yugi retorted still struggling to get free, and out of the strange boy's grip.

"Why Yugi, you're not all alone here are you?" Yami asked in a sly tone.

"Let. Me. Go. I really need to use the bathroom!" Yugi was struggling even more now, so he used a fall back lie to try to get out of the others grip. It worked, with a soft oh, he was released. Yugi opened the door, but didn't run across the hall to the bathroom; instead he took a sharp left down the hallway and started to run towards the back door. Yugi never even noticed that while he was in Yami's lap, Yami had slipped a heavy chain connected to the puzzle around his neck. So it didn't really matter where Yugi was going Yami was coming too.

**Please review, no number this time. I spoil you guys too much, but oh well, I least I have the chapters to spare. Midnight ;p**


	6. Run as far as you want

**Okay, the only reason I'm updating early is because I'm in a really good mood. I'm hanging out with a friend today! I do not own Yugioh. On and forth with with the reading!**

Chapter 6

Yugi ran out the back door, making sure to grab the keys off the hook first, and locked the door behind him. Yugi took a quick breath with his back against the closed door, before taking off again. Yugi had an idea of where to go, a place where the bullies couldn't even find him, his hidden alcove of bushes in the park.

When Yugi finally reached the park, his sides were screaming in protest and he was completely winded. Yugi however didn't stop running until he made it to his hiding spot, and quickly dove between two of the bushes that made a small entrance. Now you're probably wondering what made this hiding spot so special. It was simple really, the bushes grew to make a circle of concealment, and the low trees around it made it nearly impossible for a tall person to see into it. This is where Yugi hid when the bullies decided that they wanted to follow him home, and Yugi didn't want them to know where he lived.

After catching his breath, Yugi, peeked out of his hiding spot to see if the boy from his room had either followed him, or was looking for him in the area where he had just seemed to vanish. Sighing in relief when he saw neither sight nor hair of him, Yugi laid down in the grass to think about what he was going to do about the situation.

"Okay, it seems that the voice from my corner, Yami, has somehow acquired a body of his own. I don't think calling the cops will work because we look similar, and he could probably convince the cops that he's my brother or cousin. So that options out. I don't think I can send him to school in my place on Monday either, he'd find out who my tormentors are. So that's out too. Ugh, what should I do?" Yugi thought out loud quietly to himself, looking up at the branches of the trees above him.

"I think I like the idea of going to school Monday, I'd love to meet your tormentors." Yami's voice suddenly spoke from beside him.

Yugi jolted up, looked to his right, and backed up into the bushes a bit away from where Yami was sitting without a care in the world.

"You! How'd you find me? No one knows about this spot. How'd you find it?" Yugi pointed at Yami, while talking in a rush at him.

"You showed me Yugi." Yami said simply before leaning towards him slightly.

Yugi tried to bolt out of the concealed space the minute Yami started to lean forward, but Yami was more prepared this time, and had already blocked all of Yugi's possible exits with a Shadow Magic force field. All Yugi managed to do was jump over a bush and find himself jumping back over on the other side, right next to Yami.

Taking advantage of Yugi's momentarily confused state; Yami yanked him down to sit next to him, placing an iron grip around his waist.

"You know, for someone so injured, I hardly expected you to be so energetic. You can stop struggling too, I'm not letting go until we clear up a few things between us. After you can run as far away from me to your heart's content. Just know that you're probably not going to get far, not with this on at least." Yami said reaching over and holding the puzzle up before Yugi's eyes.

"My puzzle? You're attached to my puzzle? So if I get rid of this puzzle I get rid of you?" Yugi asked his questions slowly, but none too carefully.

"Heh, sure if you can get it off. I put it on you Yugi; I have no intention to take it off. Just like I had no intention of leaving you alone last night, that was quite a weapon." Yami replied back.

"What do you want to clear up?" Yugi asked in a tired tone, turning his head away to look in the other direction.

"Who hurt you yesterday? Where's your Grandpa gone? Why do you wish you could make friends?" Yami asked in a list like format.

"You'll find out soon enough, Egypt, why do you care?" Yugi responded to the questions with a slightly resentful tone.

"Because I find it hard to believe, that someone as selfless as you has no friends." Yami stated bluntly.

"Pfft, selfless. More like a weak, helpless, insect that everyone likes to step on is what I really am." Yugi grumbled out.

"Sorry, but weak and helpless are two words I don't believe I can associate with you. You weren't too weak to run all the way here, and you weren't too helpless to hit me over the head twice, and tie me up. So why can't you make friends?" Yami said with a slight laugh, and grimace to the memory he had pulled up of this morning.

"If you'd been paying attention for the last eight years, you'd already know why. That corner wasn't cold until _after _I received the puzzle. I should have chucked it out the window when I had the chance, if I only knew how much trouble it was going to cause me eight years from then." Yugi said turning his head back to glare at Yami.

Yami raised an eyebrow at the last statement from Yugi.

"And I would have brought it right back, sitting on your desk as if it had never left." Yami said, anger underlying his voice.

"Whatever." Yugi said yawning, he was slowly falling asleep and he knew it. Yugi was very exhausted from all the 'exercise' he had gotten that day. So without really thinking about, let alone realizing it, he laid his head on Yami's shoulder and promptly fell asleep.

Yami waved his hand in front of Yugi's face before switching his hold on the boy. Placing one arm underneath his knees, and the other underneath his upper back, he easily picked Yugi up. After standing up Yami realized he had no idea how to get them home, as he had been in the puzzle on the way over. So Yami just opened a portal to the Shadow Realm, creating a doorway between the park and the corner in Yugi's room. Stepping through, he found himself back in Yugi's room. Placing Yugi upon the bed, he retreated to the puzzle to let him rest. Yami knew how restless Yugi got when he felt Yami watching him, but loved it when he would call him mou hitori no boku, even if Yugi never remembered it himself.

**Please review, and I'd like to thank those who are/have following/favorited this story, but remember I value your opinions too. Midnight ;p**


	7. Anything but a guest

**Hmmm, I have six chapters done and ready, and you have six chapters read...numbers too even, don't like that, gotta fix it. This chapter is short, but I needed a fighting filler scene for the plot to work, so without further notice. I do not own Yugioh, enjoy. **

Chapter 7

Yugi's eyes slowly fluttered open, to give him a clear view of his room. For a moment he was confused as to how he had come to be there, when he clearly remembered falling asleep at the park. Then an image of a boy looking similar to him with crimson eyes, flashed across his mind.

"Right, Yami." He muttered under his breath.

"Yes?" a voice asked to his left.

"AHHHH!" Yugi shrieked jumping away from Yami and landing with a thump on the floor on the right side of his bed. Yami's head peeked at him from on top of Yugi's bed.

"You okay?" he asked.

"We have a guest room you know. You don't _have _to share a bed with me. Hey, there's even a couple of empty houses on this street, go commandeer one of those!" Yugi said in an annoyed tone, this guy was really starting to get under his skin.

Yami laughed at Yugi's comment before answering him

"As pleasant as that sounds, I'm bound to the puzzle, and by default you. I can go to the guest room yes, but I've made my new home here in this room, and here in this room with you is where I'm going to stay. Thank you, though, for giving me other options of residency." Yami stated in a highly amused tone.

"So you're only with me 'by default'?" Yugi asked in an emotionless voice.

"Correct." Yami replied, not catching on.

"I see, well I'm hungry so I'm going to go get something to eat." Yugi said standing up, and making his way to the door, all the while making sure that Yami didn't see the slightly hurt look on his face.

"I'll come with you." Yami said getting off Yugi's bed.

"Aren't you already? Besides, I wouldn't want to inconvenience you." Yugi retorted back.

"Inconvenience? In what way is it an inconvenience?" Yami asked following him out into the hall.

"You're only here 'by default', it's not like you actually want to be here, right?" Yugi shot back over his shoulder taking a sharp right into the kitchen area.

Yami realized, a little too late, what Yugi had been referring to back in his bedroom about 'only being with him by default'. He also realized that Yugi had misinterpreted his meaning behind those words.

"Wait, I didn't mean it like that Yugi. What I meant was that because I'm bound to the puzzle I'm also bound to you. I can never leave, no matter how badly I may want to." Yami tried to explain walking into the kitchen to see Yugi getting out ingredients for some kind of chicken recipe. Unfortunately for Yami his words just made everything worse.

"So why don't you take this puzzle off and leave already! You obviously want to, so GO!" Yugi whipped around and started to shake the puzzle at him, which was still around his neck, angrily.

"No." was Yami's simple yet angry reply, even if he knew he had no reason to be angry. He slowly, hoping Yugi wouldn't notice, tried to get some of his more calming shadows over to Yugi, before the boy made him do something he was sure to regret later. The next thing Yami knew Yugi was in his face screaming, and pointing at his shadows on the ceiling.

"NO! GET THOSE THINGS OUT OF _MY_ KITCHEN! IT'S BAD ENOUGH THAT THEY'RE IN _MY_ ROOM, AND _MY _HIDING SPOT IN THE PARK, I DON'T NEED THEM IN THE KITCHEN TOO! OUT, OUT, GET THEM OUT, _Yami!_" Yugi screamed at the top of his lungs at the boy in front of him, letting his voice drop to a dangerous whispering growl on the last word.

Yami for his part, retracted his shadows back quickly, and all but ran out of the kitchen; Yugi was scary when he was legitimately angry.

Taking a couple of deep breaths, Yugi returned to making his fried chicken. He knew Yami was in his room, but he wasn't going to be bothered with that right now. The only thing he was going to be bothered with at the moment was filling his empty stomach with food.

After two hours of very slow eating, Yugi figured they were both calmed down enough by now to talk in a more civilized manner. So, getting up from the table, putting his dishes in the dishwasher and hitting rinse, he went to find Yami.

**Yugi: hey Midnight, what's with this scene here?**

**What scene?**

**Yugi: the one here, see?**

**Where'd you find that?**

**Yugi: in the 'do not touch box'.**

**[click, whoosh]**

**Yugi: I cannot believe you just burned it.**

**I have copies, and there will be no spoilers here Yugi. Thank you to all of those who have/are favorited/following this story, your opinions though, are welcome whenever you'd like to share them. I would love to hear what a lot of you silent readers think. Midnight ;p**

**Yugi: what's with the face at the end?**

**Come on Yugi, we need to go act out 13. [Grabs Yugi and starts to drag him away.]**


	8. They were my friends

**Okay, I no longer have writers block, so you get this chapter right on schedule. Well, sorta, this is actually supposed to be chapter seven, but whatever. I do not own Yugioh, on with the show!**

Chapter 8

Going into his room, Yugi discovered that Yami was in fact not there. He wasn't in the guest room either. After checking the bathroom, his Grandpa's room, and the kitchen again, he went downstairs to the living room, and game room. Yes they had an entire room just for games. When Yugi didn't find Yami in the game room either, he walked into the living room to see Yami staring at his TV with pure bewilderment on his face.

Yugi couldn't help laughing, the look on Yami's face was priceless, even after he jumped and turned around to Yugi's laughter.

"Is there….something wrong…with the TV…..Yami?" Yugi asked between laughs.

"Yugi, there are people trapped in that box, we have to get them out. They don't even seem to realize they are trapped, they just continue to go about as if nothing is wrong." Yami explained in a panicked voice, pointing to the TV.

Coming down from his laughter a little bit, Yugi wiped the tears of mirth from his eyes, sat down on the couch next to Yami, and started to explain the purpose of the television to him.

"Yami, they're not trapped, and they do in fact know that they are in the box. That box is called a television, and actors and actresses are paid to be on it. Most of the things you see on TV these days are soap operas, cartoons, reality shows, news, whatever producers think will make money. What you're seeing is a bunch of pictures that have been taken, and are being made to move. What you're watching right now though is a re-run of last year's top duelists in a dueling tournament. If we flip to this channel you'll see this year's top pick, two guys by the name of Dinosaur Ryuzaki and Insector Haga." Yugi explained momentarily forgetting their fight from before; at least until Yami brought it back up.

"I didn't mean it like that Yugi, I'm sorry if I gave you the wrong impression." Yami said with his eyes closed, making Yugi wonder if he had been paying attention to his explanation of a television at all.

"I'm sorry I screamed at you. I'm just so used to people ditching me at the first chance they get, that I guess I figured you wanted to too." Yugi said looking at his fingernails, as if they had suddenly become the most interesting thing in the room.

Yami opened his eyes to look at Yugi. When he saw Yugi was looking down at his hands he gently placed a hand underneath his chin and turned it towards him and looked directly in his eyes as he asked the next big question.

"Who's left you Yugi?"

"Almost everyone. My Father left before I was born because he didn't want a kid. My Mother dumped me on my Grandpa's doorstep when I was five, she couldn't look at me without seeing my Father in every way I talked. My friends throughout elementary and middle school left me after something happened in Domino Middle, that's a bond that can't ever be fixed. Too many have tried, everyone has failed, the damage it was just too….disastrous. I'm like a disease no one but Grandpa wants to be around." Yugi explained in a sad tired voice, almost like this wasn't the first time he had said it.

"I'm not going to leave Yugi. You're my Aibou and whether you like it or not, you're stuck with me." Yami said casually back.

"Aibou? When exactly did we become partners? I barely even know you." Yugi asked with an arched eyebrow.

"When you started calling me mou hitori no boku." Yami said without even thinking.

"But I don't." Yugi said becoming confused.

"Don't what?" Yami asked.

"Call you mou hitori no boku." Yugi explained.

"Whoever said you did?"

"You did, Yami, two seconds ago."

"No I didn't."

"Yes you did."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"No."

"Yes I did, and that's final!" Yami said victoriously thinking he had won.

"Great, so now that we've got that settled when do I call you mou hitori no boku?" Yugi asked offhandedly.

"If I answer your question, will you answer the one I've been asking for two days now?" Yami asked hopefully.

"Two days? What day is it today?" Yugi asked ignoring Yami's question.

"Sunday, you slept through the afternoon, night, and half of this morning. Do we have a deal?" Yami responded, and then brought the conversation back to his question.

"I don't _know_ half their names, Yami. I know my prime tormentors names, but that's it. Each one of my tormenting groups believes they should have different tasks. So one group is in charge of tripping Yugi, another stealing Yugi's lunch, stealing Yugi's homework, beating Yugi up, the list goes on and on. I've been tormented all my life by school bullies; nothing's going to change that." Yugi gave in to Yami's request, just to get him to shut up about it.

"You call me mou hitori no boku when I go away to let you sleep after you've asked your Grandpa to leave. You never seemed to remember in the morning, so I never pointed it out." Yami stated calmly.

"_Do_ you want to come to school with me tomorrow? School is really not that fun, all you do is listen to adults talk, but it's mandatory that I go. If I don't they'll guess my Grandpa isn't here and will want to send me to foster care for 'neglect' _again_."

"As I said yesterday, I'd love to meet these tormentors of yours, as well as these 'used to be' friend." Yami said back.

"Fine, but leave my old friends be; they were my friends _once_ after all." Yugi said, with a smidge of bitterness on the word 'once', getting off the couch.

"Wait, don't I have to have a reason to be going to your school?" Yami asked as Yugi made to walk out of the room.

"Yes, that's why I'm going to call in a favor from someone I know. He's not a friend, more like a casual acquaintance, but he'll get the job done right. By tomorrow morning, you shall exist as Yami…..Sennen." Yugi said walking out of the room, and up to the guest room to make a phone call. Yugi just hoped that Seto Kaiba wasn't really in a very questioning mood; some might be hard to answer, if at all.

**Okay, Yugi and Yami are tied up with anti shadow rope, I've re-hidden the box we are good to go. thank you to all of those who have/are favorited/following this story. One silent reader has spoken up, so I ****_know _****the rest of you are going to be ****_dying_**** to try reviewing ****_now. _****So show me some of that courage you're bottling up, and review. Also, for those of you who are guests, or have their PM turned off thank you for reviewing. Midnight ;p**


	9. Talking to Kaiba

**Okay, this chapter is a wee bit different. I originally wrote it from three different angles, but ended up going with the Kaiba view, because it had some suggested humor in it. Right now that's settled, regular print=Kaiba, bold print=Yugi, and bold underline print=Yami, when talking on the phone. Right, I do not own Yugioh, and now it's off to make supper.**

Chapter 9

Kaiba was in the middle of a meeting with someone in America when his secretary came in saying a Mr. Yugi Mutou was on line five. Telling the person on the computer to hold on for a second, he turned it away from him, making sure to turn the sound off first, and picked up the phone.

"This had better be important Mutou; I'm in the middle of an important meeting." Kaiba growled into the phone.

**"Kaiba, besides the times that I called you when I was on pain killers, when have I called you that it hasn't been important?"** Yugi's voice said on the other line, Kaiba also heard a faint click like something was being locked.

"How about last week when you were sick and extremely bored." Kaiba responded promptly.

**"Right, well I'm calling in a favor. I need you to create some documents for me."** Yugi responded in a nervous tone.

"Hold on." Kaiba said.

Kaiba put the phone down on the desk and turned the computer back around, clicking the sound back on.

"We shall continue this conversation tomorrow." He told the person on the computer, before clicking exit from Skype.

Taking a pair of headsets out, he hooked it up to his phone, and pulled up a few folders on his computer.

"Alright Mutou, what kind of documents do you need?" Kaiba asked, once the link between his headsets and phone had been established.

**"Umm, passport, birth certificate, dental and doctor records, previous school attendance, everything someone needs for entire lifetime?"** Yugi said in more of a question, than statement.

"You already have all that Mutou!" Kaiba said in a frustrated tone.

**"Well, yeah, ****_I_**** do, but Yami Sennen doesn't. Apparently the airport lost his luggage." **

"Who's Yami Sennen?" Kaiba asked confused.

**"Domino High School's new, unannounced just got here, foreign exchange student from Egypt!"** Yugi said in a way that made Kaiba think he was straight up lying.

"So if I go into the airport records I'll be able to see that this 'Yami Sennen' really did just fly all the way from Egypt to here in Japan, right?" Kaiba asked in an 'I know when you're lying Mutou' tone.

**"Uh, could you by any chance fabricate that too?"** Yugi asked in a nervous voice, already knowing he had been caught.

"Mutou, who is this Yami Sennen? He's not another friend you made up is he?" Kaiba asked in a tired voice.

**"No! He's very real, and showed up in my house Saturday morning refusing to leave."** Yugi said indignantly.

"Did you try calling the police?" Kaiba asked, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world to do.

**"Do you honestly think they would believe my story once they had seen what he had looked like?"** Yugi retorted back.

"Okay, what does he look like?" Kaiba asked.

**"Load up a picture of me on your computer." **

"Alright, what one do you want? We have the choices of you dressed up like a girl, a piñata, that ugly bruise on your right eye, and this year's annual chase Mutou around the school."

**"Do you have any ****_normal _****full body pictures of me?"** Yugi asked in an angry tone.

"One, but you're decked out in leather in it."

**"Use that one, now make me, um, hold on a second."** Yugi said before Kaiba heard the phone being put down on something.

Kaiba waited as he heard what sounded like footsteps walking across a room, a small click, and a door being opened.

**"Oh, good you're already up here. Come here we need to do something."** Yugi's voice sounded a little bit away from the phone but not far enough that Kaiba couldn't hear.

Kaiba heard a light thump and a soft 'oof, before a new and completely unrecognizable voice was heard a bit further away from where Yugi's voice had been a little bit earlier.

**"****My, my, Yugi, don't you think you're being a little forward with me? I mean we only just met after all.****"** Kaiba could hear amusement from whatever Yugi was doing in the other's voice.

**"It's not like that baka, now hold still would you?"** Yugi's voice sounded in same area that the other voice was coming from.

Kaiba heard Yugi coming back, but this time it seemed Yugi didn't bother to shut the door, as another pair of footsteps followed him into whatever room he was using to make this call.

**"Alright, make me three inches taller Kaiba."** Yugi said into the receiver after he had picked up the phone again.

"Whose voice was that?" Kaiba asked while making the leather clad Yugi three inches taller.

**"Yami Sennen's, I told you he was real."** Yugi said, and Kaiba could almost hear the smile in his voice that was probably on his face right now.

"Are there any other changes between the two of you Mutou?" Kaiba asked.

**"Yes, quite a few actually. Make my face more angular, my eyes slanted, change the color of them from a beautiful amethyst to a piercing crimson, give me four lightning bangs going up with the rest of my star fished hair, and make the tips of my hair the same color as his eyes. How does he look?"** Yugi rapidly named off the things that needed to change barely giving Kaiba time _to_ change them.

"He looks powerful, intimidating, confident, and someone who will have their own fan club in record time at our school tomorrow." Kaiba stated bluntly looking at the imposing figure before him. Kaiba had even erased Yugi's smile and replaced it with a smirk, which fit this Yami Sennen in an oddly satisfying way.

**"He looks better in that outfit than I do, doesn't he?"** Yugi asked with a slight pout in his voice.

"Maybe you can lend it to him and find out for yourself Mutou. All right, I'll make the papers for him, but I want a full explanation tomorrow Mutou." Kaiba said preparing to get off the phone and get started on all the documents he was going to have to make.

**"Wait, Kaiba, Yami wants to talk."** Yugi said, before the phone was handed over, and Yugi's footsteps left the room.

**"****Kaiba, who beat up Yugi on Friday? He refuses to tell me, but all I want to do is help.****"** Yami asked.

"Sennen, if Mutou doesn't even tell his Grandpa who it is what makes you think I know?" Kaiba retorted; he didn't like where this conversation was headed.

**"****Yugi seems to trust you in a certain way that makes you sound like more than a 'casual acquaintance' in his eyes.****"** Yami explained.

"Only because he and one other student at our school knows how to get past my 'cold demeanor' as most of the school has phrased it. That and we always get paired together for projects, because I'm not usually there, and Mutou is always left out." Kaiba explained in a matter of fact voice.

A sigh was heard on the other line, before Yami spoke again.

**"****I just don't understand why anyone would want to bully him. He's too kind and gentle to others for such treatment.****"** Yami said in a sad voice.

"Ushio." Kaiba said suddenly.

**"****What?****"** Yami asked confused.

"Ushio, he's the one who is constantly beating up Mutou. Mutou gets a beating from him once every two weeks in the morning before school on Fridays, and if Mutou misses it in the morning, he gets a double beating in the afternoon after school. I suggest you don't do anything until you see it with your own eyes Sennen; I don't want Mutou to know I betrayed his trust. Also, be a friend to him, he really needs another besides Jounouchi and myself. You're right, Mutou does consider me as a friend, but I consider him as a casual acquaintance." Kaiba explained everything Yami had wanted to know from the beginning to him, before quickly hanging up.

**Please review. Midnight ;p**


	10. Game collection and pizza

**Here's the lovely chapter ten, with a guest appearance. Right then, I do not own Yugioh or Pizza Hut. Enjoy!**

Chapter 10

"Thank you, Kaiba. I'll see you tomorrow." Yami said to the dial tone before hanging up.

Yami stood up and walked out of the room and down the hallway to Yugi's room. As soon as Yami opened the door something was thrown into his face. He barely caught it, before looking down at the object; it appeared to be some form of an outfit.

"That's your outfit to wear to school tomorrow, they'll have you change into the uniform in the office. Kaiba will probably meet at us either at the front gates, or near the school office with the papers. I'll explain things to him at lunch if he's still around. If not, I'll call him tomorrow, where is that _stupid _alarm clock?" Yugi explained to Yami while searching in his closet for the hated object.

Yami looked back down at the outfit he was given to discover it was all leather, and was wondering if this was what Yugi and Kaiba were talking about over the phone.

"Ah, got it!" Yugi exclaimed coming out of the closet with a battered and beat up clock. It looked like it had seen several years of abuse. Yugi placed the alarm clock on his desk, and set the alarm for five am, he figured that would give them both enough time to get ready and get to school.

"Okay, you want dinner? We can order a pizza, and I'm sure we have some soda cans in the fridge." Yugi said turning to Yami before making his way out of the room.

"Yugi, why are you being nice to me all of a sudden?" Yami asked looking into the hallway.

Yugi stopped and turned around to look back at him.

"Because I'm kind and gentle to others, but I haven't shown an ounce of that same kindness to you since you arrived." Yugi said looking at Yami with very serious and apologizing eyes.

"Well I haven't exactly done anything to be rewarded with your kindness either. I've kept you up through half the night, and have constantly peppered you with questions. To be quite truthful, I liked that other side of you better, it was more _aggressive_." Yami responded back, ending his statement with a small smirk.

"Still, you catch more flies with honey than you do vinegar. Or in my case you catch fewer bullies with aggression than you do with kindness." Yugi said turning back around and heading towards the kitchen to order some pizza, and check the fridge for soda.

"Then maybe you should try being more aggressive at school?" Yami called out to him, throwing the leather outfit on Yugi's bed, before he too made his way to the kitchen.

"Against people I'm half the size of, no thanks." Yugi said shaking his head, before opening the fridge to rummage inside.

"You're half the size of all your bullies? You can't honestly tell me they only pick on you because they're taller than you." Yami said in disbelief.

"If only it were that simple. No they pick on me for numerous of reasons, that's only just one of them. Grape, orange, or cherry?" Yugi mumbled before turning to Yami and holding out three different kinds of soda to him.

"Um, cherry?" Yami asked pointing to the red can.

"Here, and I'll take the grape. Now for the pizza, do you like cheese, sausage, pepperoni, supreme, or hot dog?" Yugi handed Yami the cold soda, putting his on the counter and the orange one back in the fridge. He then began to list off the types of pizza he and his Grandpa usually ordered, while dialing the number for Pizza Hut into the phone.

"Hot dog?" Yami asked.

"Okay, hi I would like two medium pizzas one hot dog, and the other pepperoni. No that's all, yes I would like it delivered. The Kame Game Shop, yes that's right, $10.50 got it. Thank you, you too." Yugi hung up the phone and made his way over to a small drawer by the stove. He opened it and pulled out a ten and a five dollar bill. Then he made his way out of the kitchen, and down to the Shop area to wait for the delivery guy to show up.

Yugi was sitting on the counter by the time Yami had decided to follow him downstairs. Yami looked around the Shop, and was surprised to see every inch of the walls lined with games. Games it seemed from every country ever discovered, and some from countries that had yet _to_ be discovered. Yami was so fascinated with how many games there were in the room, that he didn't see Yugi hop off the counter and make his way over to him.

"Our collection of games is pretty impressive isn't it? In this shop is where I actually found the puzzle that you put around my neck. It was shoved into the back of one of the shelves; I wouldn't have even noticed it either if the sun hadn't of hit it in just the right angle to shine in my left eye. I pulled it out, and asked Grandpa if I could have it. He said yes, and told me to tell him when I finished it, because apparently the Mutou family has been trying to put it together for six generations. I find it funny that I, with my name being Yugi, was actually able to complete it." Yugi explained to a slightly stunned Yami, to hear that he had been waiting six generations for this one boy to come along.

Yami had of course felt others trying to put it together, but none had been able to draw him out of the dark confinement of the puzzle's shadows before Yugi came along. Yami stared at Yugi with a new wonderment in his eyes. He found it strange that someone so completely his opposite in every way was the one chosen to find, and complete the puzzle. However, maybe that was the point, for the puzzle to find his opposite, and have this one person complete him in a way that he had never felt complete before.

"Oh, they sent Jounouchi to deliver it, and here I thought they were going to send 'crazy' Marik again." Yugi said suddenly jolting Yami from his thoughts. Yami looked at the door to see a guy with shaggy blonde hair and warm brown eyes.

"Hey Jounouchi, come on in." Yugi said holding the door open for the other to step through.

"Sorry Yug' but I can't, Marik has a new boyfriend, and is claiming to be sick. So I've been working both our shifts, which means I have to deliver to five more houses tonight." Jounouchi replied, handing the pizza boxes to Yugi instead.

"Oh, that's alright, Yami can you get the money off the counter and give it to Jounouchi?" Yugi asked juggling the pizzas in his hands and holding the door open with his foot so it didn't slam in Jounouchi's face.

Yami grabbed the money off the counter and made his way over to Jounouchi to give him the money. Jounouchi was eyeing him up the entire time, like he was trying to decide if Yami was a threat to Yugi or not.

"Here you go, $15.00." Yami said handing Jounouchi the money.

"Thanks, have a nice night." Jounouchi said looking at Yami in a confused and suspicious way, before making his way back down the sidewalk and to the car he was driving.

"Will everyone be looking at me like that tomorrow?" Yami asked Yugi as they made their way back up the stairs and towards the kitchen.

"No, most will probably be looking at you with want, lust, and desire. The other, smaller part of the schools population, will be sizing you up to see if you're another punching bag, or if you're better left alone." Yugi explained, as he set the two pizzas down on the table and opened them.

"And what part of the population will you be in Yugi? The first or the second?" Yami asked leaning towards him slightly.

"That depends." Yugi answered getting two plates out of the cabinet and setting them on the table.

"On what?" Yami asked grabbing a slice of pizza from each box and putting it on his plate.

"On how you look in that leather outfit tomorrow. From what Kaiba said you apparently look powerful, intimidating, confident, and someone who will have their own fan club in record time at our school tomorrow." Yugi said with a small smile before taking a bite out of a slice of hot dog pizza.

"My own what?" Yami asked raising an eyebrow.

"Fan club, I've got one too, though it's not a club you want to be in trust me. Yours will most likely be filled with girls, not thugs twice your size." Yugi explained.

"I've no interest in girls." Yami said looking Yugi directly in his eyes.

Yugi didn't know why, but for some reason Yami's comment made him blush. Almost like it was directed at him or something.

"Ah, right, well, what do you think of your pizza?" Yugi fished out for a change of the subject, as he got up to retrieve his soda off the counter where he had left it.

"It's really good, especially this one with these circular pieces of meat." Yami said squishing a piece of hot dog between his finger and thumb, before popping it into his mouth.

"That's a hot dog Yami." Yugi laughed out.

"So after we eat this dinner what do we do?" Yami asked taking another slice of hot dog pizza from the box.

"Go to bed, it's almost 10:45 pm, and we have to get up at 5:00 am." Yugi said pointing to the clock as he sat back down to grab another slice of pepperoni.

"Is that early?" Yami asked.

"The sun will be rising with us, so yes, it's early." Yugi said back bluntly.

"Do you want me to sleep in the guest room or yours?" Yami asked, taking a drink from his cherry soda, which he had discovered he liked.

"What do you think?" Yugi asked him sarcastically.

"With you?" Yami responded with hope in his voice.

"Guess again baka, you're sleeping in the guest room." Yugi responded finishing his soda, and putting his plate in the dishwasher. He then got a container out of a different cabinet and put it on the table.

"When you're done eating put the leftovers in this, and then put it in the fridge. There are some spare clothes in the guest room you can use for night clothes. Night Yami, I'll see you in the morning." Yugi yawned out the last part before making his way to his bedroom.

Yugi entered his bedroom to see the leather outfit on his bed. Sighing he picked it up, folded it, and then took it to the guest room, where he placed it on top of the dresser. He then made his way back to his bedroom, got on his favorite star patterned pajamas, checked to see if his alarm was set again, turned off the light, and snuggled down into his blankets. Tomorrow was going to be a busy day, and Yugi was going to need all the energy he could get, just to get through it.

**Before any of you even THINK to ask in a review, NO, I do NOT know if Pizza Hut sells hot dog pizza, I needed an unusual flavor and hot dog was the first thing to pop into my head. Okay, now that's settled, thank you to all of those who are/have following/favorited this story, but we must remember that ALL opinions ARE appreciated. Midnight ;p**


	11. Do you like what you see?

**You're all going to hate me. I'm absolutely positively EVIL! I do not own Yugioh or cocoa pebbles, enjoy...**

Chapter 11

_Tick tick tick rrrrrrRRIIIIINNNNNGGGGG!_

Yugi woke up to the high pitched ringing of his alarm clock, though it didn't stay ringing for long. You see, there was a reason for why it looked so battered and beaten, and that reason was in the form of a small pale hand whacking it off his desk and across the room. There the poor alarm clock made contact with the wall, and fell to the floor in submissive silence.

Yawning, Yugi stretched and rubbed his eyes trying to get the last remnants of sleep out of them. He didn't need to worry about _not_ fully waking up though, as his door burst open revealing a Yami in all his boxer clad glory. Seriously, Yami was only wearing boxers, as he looked around Yugi's room like something was going to jump out at him at any moment.

"Yami, what are you doing? And why aren't you wearing any pajamas?" Yugi asked indignantly, while at the same time taking inventory of Yami's well toned and lean muscular body.

"What was that noise? It sounded like someone was screaming before they were smacked into a wall or something." Yami looked as if he had gone into a complete panic mode.

"Alarm went off." Yugi said in a calm way pointing to the offense object on the floor a few feet to Yami's right.

Yami looked down at it, and then over to the desk a couple of times before voicing his confusion out loud.

"Wasn't that on your desk last night?" Yami asked.

"Yes, and now it's on the floor. Come on we need to start getting ready, which means you need to get dressed." Yugi said getting out of bed and pushing a still slightly baffled Yami out his bedroom door before closing it.

"But how did it end up on the floor?" Yami asked through the door.

"I hit it across the room to turn it off." Yugi shouted back getting his uniform out of the closet.

"Isn't there a button on it or something that you can use to turn it off with?" Yami asked as if this solution was more obvious.

"Hitting it across the room is more effective. Now go get dressed, I don't want to be having to fight you for the bathroom." Yugi shouted at him again.

Yugi heard Yami grumble something incoherent, before footsteps where heard walking back to the guest, well I suppose Yami's now, room. Yugi grabbed his uniform and went into the bathroom to take a shower.

While in the shower Yugi noticed that his abdomen was less black and more of a bluish purplish color now. Most of his cuts were gone, and some of his less damaging bruises too. All in all, he figured he looked better this Monday then he did previous Mondays after a brutal beating on a Friday. Turning off the water, Yugi grabbed the towel off the hook and dried himself off. Then he put on his uniform, dried his hair, combed it, brushed his teeth, washed his face, and gave himself a smile for good luck in the mirror.

When Yugi opened the door to the bathroom, he was presented with a Yami dressed in skin tight black leather. The leather outfit hugged parts of Yami's body, where it had never done so for Yugi. The outfit left nothing to the imagination, except maybe the things some would want to _do _to a body like that. Yami smirking at him like that wasn't exactly helping either.

"Do you like what you see Yugi?" Yami purred in Yugi's ear.

"Ah, breakfast, we need breakfast." Yugi said dodging around Yami and making a bee line for the kitchen. Yugi needed anything, _anything_, to get Yami out of his head right now. Kaiba had better have a good reason for not telling him exactly what to expect when they got to school today. Not only did Yami look _way_ better in that outfit than he did, it looked like the outfit was designed specifically _for _him.

Yugi heard Yami chuckle down the hallway, before the bathroom door closed. Groaning, Yugi already knew that today was going to be tough, and they hadn't even left the _house_ yet. Yugi proceeded to make breakfast anyway. Pulling down two bowls, and taking two spoons out of a drawer and putting one in each bowl, he poured cocoa pebbles in each bowl. Yugi then got out the milk and set it on the table as well. Taking out two brown paper bags, Yugi put some leftover pizza, two juice boxes, two granola bars, and two pudding cups in each before sealing the bags and writing their names on the outside. By this time, Yami had walked into the kitchen, and had decided that standing right behind Yugi was the best place to be.

Yugi put the cap on the marker and turned around to be met with the leather choker around Yami's neck. Yami placed both of his hands on either side of Yugi on the counter behind him. Yami thought he had Yugi trapped between himself and the counter, but one should never underestimate someone who's bullied constantly. Yugi could wiggle his way out of almost any 'trap', Yami's was no exception.

Placing his hands also on the counter behind him, Yugi hoisted himself up and jumped over the low point of Yami's arm, right around where his wrist was. Landing with his knees slightly bent, to take in the impact, Yugi turned to look at Yami's surprised face, before making his way to the table.

"Sorry, Yami, all we have is cocoa pebbles at the moment. We can go shopping after school for some more food, and you can pick out some things you like. Sound good?" Yugi asked pouring himself some milk, and sitting down to eat his cereal, all while keeping his back to Yami.

Yami made his way over to the table and sat down in the chair that was directly across from Yugi. He poured milk in his bowl, and started eating as well; only he never took his eyes off of Yugi, except to make sure his milk didn't overflow the bowl, or drown the cereal.

The two boys ate in silence, one boring his eyes into the other, and one avoiding those very same eyes deliberately. Both boys finished eating at the same time, and Yami mimicked Yugi's movements as he put his dishes in the sink to deal with later.

Making his way back upstairs, Yugi hurried into his room to get his school bag, knowing Yami would receive one with his uniform at school, he didn't worry about whether Yami had one or not. Grabbing the school blazer off the hook on his bedroom wall, Yugi put it on, before bending down to retrieve the alarm clock from the floor. Yugi placed the object on his desk, and then made his way out of his room.

Thinking Yami had went back to the gues-, his room, Yugi yelled in that direction for him to meet him downstairs when he was ready to go. Yugi turned to make his way downstairs, but before he could even take a step, he was met with a leather wall. Yugi would have fallen down too, if two arms hadn't snaked themselves around his waist to hold him firmly against the leather clad chest.

"Now can I get an answer to that question from before?" Yami whispered into Yugi's ear.

"Uh, which one, you've asked a lot of questions." Yugi responded hoping to distract him, so he could try to get loose from the grip.

"Do you like what you see Yugi, Aibou?" Yami dropped his voice even lower, if that was even possible, to whisper the question into Yugi's ear again.

"Yes, alright, yes, I like what I see, and so will every girl, gay, and bi person at school, can we go now?" Yugi said, a blush creeping its way across his face.

"Sure we can go, Aibou." Yami said releasing Yugi.

"Don't call me that, we aren't partners, and it'll only give the guys at school another reason to make my life miserable." Yugi said darting around Yami and making his way down the stairs.

"Not if I can help it." Yami responded back following him down the stairs.

"Don't, please, just don't." Yugi said in a strained voice, his hand on the door handle to the outside world.

"Don't what?" Yami asked, pausing behind him, a frown marring his features.

"Help."

With that final word Yugi was out the door and walking at a fast pace down the sidewalk, leaving Yami to run after him just to keep up, after shutting and locking the door of course. Yami couldn't help but think as he just about caught up to Yugi, that for someone who was so short, he sure was fast.

After walking for about five blocks Yami started to wonder just how far away Yugi's school was. Though after walking another two, he could slowly see it rising in the distance.

When the two boys reached the school, Yugi immediately walked over to a tall guy with brown hair and cold sapphire blue eyes. Yami could only assume that this was Seto Kaiba, the man they had talked to last night. Kaiba's eyes raked over Yami, before turning to Yugi.

"Here, it's all in there even transfer papers." Kaiba said handing Yugi a thick folder.

"Thanks, Kaiba, you're a life saver." Yugi said with gratitude leaking through every word he spoke.

"Yes, well, I had my secretary clear my schedule for today, so we'll be eating lunch under the tree, bring him." Kaiba said with an assertive authority voice, pointing to Yami at the end.

"Sure, if I can find him. Who knows, he could have been kidnapped by the girls at this school by then." Yugi said, a small devious smile gracing his features.

"Impossible, I placed him every single one of your classes Mutou." Kaiba said back with a small devious smile of his own.

"You what?" Yugi asked with a deadpanned face.

"I put Sennen in all of your classes." Kaiba repeated.

"Fine, I'll see you at lunch. I have to get him a proper uniform." Yugi said in defeat, turning and walking towards the gates. Glancing back Yugi noticed that Yami had yet to move.

"Coming? You don't want to miss your big day." Yugi said looking at him with true smile on his face.

"Yeah, I'm coming." Yami said making to move towards Yugi as Kaiba spoke up.

"You don't see those very much anymore, makes you want to carry a camera with you everywhere you go. Just to catch those rare true smiles of his, to prove to yourself that they actually exist. Mutou, truly smiling, a rare sight and great treasure, see one, and you feel as if your entire day is going to be good." Kaiba talked in an absent minded voice, like even he wasn't aware that he was actually talking.

Yami glanced in Kaiba's direction before taking off after Yugi who was already at the front doors to the school. Kaiba had a point though, over the weekend, he had never seen Yugi smile once, and it made him wonder where Yugi was keeping them. A smile like that and Yugi's whole face lit up like a sparkler on the fourth of July.

"Well, let's get your first day started and over with, then we can go grocery shopping and eat a proper meal tonight." Yugi said holding the door open for Yami.

"Yeah, that sounds nice, just you, me and a dinner for-" Yami said looking down slightly at Yugi before a loud shriek from down the hallway cut off the rest of his words.

"YUGI!"

**Don't you guys just LOVE the way I ended this chapter, because I know I do! Thank you to all of you have/are favorited/following this story. Also thanks to everyone who reviewed that are either guests or have their PM turned off. Reviews are welcome, flames for the way I ended this chapter are not. Midnight ;p**


	12. school part 1

**I have decided that since I'm almost done with chapter 15, I should post chapter 12. Not that making you guys wait with such a wonderful ending to the last chapter wasn't any fun, because believe me it was. Right, I do not own Yugioh, and I sure hope that nobody is particularly attached to Anzu/Tea...Well anyway, enjoy this ten pages or so chapter.**

Chapter 12

Yugi's head whipped around at the sound of his name, only to turn back groaning in what seemed to be annoyance. Yami looked over Yugi's head to see a girl with short brown hair and azure blue eyes coming down the hallway towards them. Even though she had called out Yugi's name, her eyes were locked on Yami with no attempt to hide the desire and want in them. Yami could already feel his stomach churning with disgust.

Finally coming up to the two of them the girl slightly pushed Yugi out of the way so she could take his spot directly in front of Yami. Yami stared at the girl, completely astounded by her rudeness.

"Hi, I'm Anzu Mazaki, if you need anything, or any help at this school you just let me know, and I'll be happy to supply." Anzu said as she tried to discreetly touch Yami's bicep.

Yami however had already seen the movement, and moved around her to stand next to Yugi. This _couldn't_ be one of Yugi's old friends that he had spoken of. No, there was no way Yugi could have _ever _associated himself with a girl like this. However, just as Yami was thinking this, Anzu turned to Yugi looking expectant.

"Well, Yugi, aren't you going to introduce us?" She demanded.

"Sorry, Anzu, but I got to get him settled in first, maybe later." Yugi said gently tugging on one of Yami's bracelets to get him to start moving in the right direction.

Yami was only too happy to oblige, he didn't want to be anywhere near this girl. This couldn't be one of them, this couldn't be one of Yugi's old friends, and it _had_ to be a mistake. There _had_ to be another reason for why this girl was acting so familiar with Yugi, but then again Yugi never _had_ told Yami any of his friend's names. He had to ask for them later though, because with the appearance of just this one girl, all of Yugi's joy had just seemed to vanish into thin air.

"No, I demand to be introduced now." Anzu said with an air of presumed authority in her voice.

"When are you going to learn that you can't have everything you want, Anzu?" Yugi said tilting his head in her direction, and pushing Yami slightly forward with one hand. Yet, it was the look in Yugi's eyes that struck Yami the most; they held disgust and pity in them, while looking at the girl.

Yugi walked away with Yami right beside him, leaving a fuming Anzu behind. It was very clear to Yami that the two had a history, but of what he wasn't sure he wanted to know.

"Yugi, was that-" Yami started to ask as they turned the corner, but Yugi quickly cut him off.

"You'll probably run into a lot more of my old friends at this school Yami. That's one of the ones I used to be friends with, actually she used to have all the same friends that I did. In Domino Middle however, she saw something and misinterpreted it. She ruined our entire friend circle, and now I can't make any friends because of the incident. I'll tell you what happened someday, perhaps, but not right now, I'm still dealing with the damage her words and actions caused, to talk about it." Yugi stated calmly as he made his way through the halls to the office.

"Maybe talking about it will help you deal with it better than keeping it bottled up." Yami suggested casually.

"That thought process has already been tried on everyone who was affected by it. It didn't fix anything; in fact it just made things a whole lot worse. Look, can we just not talk about it please?" Yugi asked just as the two reached the office.

"Sure, but I will bring it up again eventually." Yami said opening the door for Yugi to go in first.

"Right, but don't believe whatever comes out of her mouth, you'll only be listening to lies." Yugi said as he made his way into the office.

"Good morning Mr. Mutou, what can we do for you?" a woman at the counter asked as soon as she saw Yugi.

"Good morning Sato Sensei. I'm here with the new transfer student Yami Sennen, from Egypt. We need to get him his uniform, school bag, and schedule. Oh and here are his transfer papers as well." Yugi said with a confident smile on his face. Reality check, Yugi was a nervous wreck inside hoping that Kaiba really had taken care of _everything_.

"Ah, yes, here we are, Yami Sennen, you know we expected that you would arrive last Monday, but you're here now, that's all that matters." Sato Sensei said looking at the folder while typing something into the computer at the same time.

"_Thank you Kaiba._" Yami heard Yugi whisper under his breath.

"Okay, Mr. Mutou, it was requested by Mr. Sennen's father that he was to be placed in all of your classes. However, where you have a study break instead of P.E. Mr. Sennen does not. So you will need to show him where the Gym is before you go to the Library, understand?" Sato Sensei said looking over the schedule before handing it to Yami.

"Yes, Sato Sensei." Yugi responded with a slight nod of his head.

"Okay, now Mr. Sennen, if you will come with me, we'll get you all measured and into a uniform. Mr. Mutou, can you grab a school bag for him from the cabinet behind you while you wait?" Sato Sensei said and asked with a kind smile.

"Of course, Sato Sensei, I'm happy to help." Yugi responded with a smile that never met his eyes.

Turning around Yugi smacked his face against another person's head with white hair the color of snow. Both Yugi and the other person got up rubbing different parts of their heads. Yugi his right cheek, and the other the back of their head.

"Sorry, I wasn't paying attention to where I was goi-Ryou." Yugi started to apologize until the person in question looked up at him with wide doe brown eyes. Yugi hadn't talked to Ryou since well, since the incident.

"Oh, hey Yugi." Ryou said shuffling his feet a bit.

"So, uh, how've you, uh…" Yugi tried to start a conversation a bit awkwardly.

"Been?" Ryou supplied.

"Yeah, how've you been?" Yugi asked looking down.

"Good. You?" Ryou responded.

"Been alright." Yugi said looking back up at Ryou.

"Well, it's been nice seeing you again." It was obvious that Ryou wanted the awkward conversation to end.

"Y-yeah, you too. Good talk." Yugi said as Ryou started to move away, making Ryou hesitate for a fraction of a second.

"Right back at ya." Ryou said before he left the office completely.

Yugi smiled a small smile as that familiar phrase reached his ears, before opening the cabinet and taking out a school bag for Yami. Yugi closed the cabinet, and turned back around to see Yami coming out in the school uniform. Yugi blinked, was there nothing Yami _didn't _look good in? While Yami no longer had the leather on, and the uniform didn't look like a second skin, Yugi couldn't deny that Yami almost looked majestic in the blue color of their uniforms.

"Alright, Mr. Sennen, you will need to come back tomorrow, and by then we should have a more proper fitting uniform for you." Sato Sensei said coming out behind him.

"Sorry for the inconvenience, Sato Sensei." Yami said looking slightly embarrassed.

Wondering what they were talking about Yugi took a better look at Yami's uniform, and discovered that it was a size too big for him. Yami's pants legs and sleeves were rolled up at the ends.

"Don't worry about, we get this all the time when a student isn't in any of our regularly kept stock of sizes. Isn't that right Mr. Mutou?" Sato Sensei asked looking down at Yugi with a look of remembering a fond memory.

"Yeah, I had to get one Yami, because I'm so small. They even had to get a fitted size for Kaiba, because he's so tall. They do fitted sizes a lot Yami, so don't even sweat it." Yugi told Yami with a light cheery air around him. This made Yami wonder what had happened in the few minutes that he had been in the back with Sato Sensei.

"All right, and Mr. Sennen, you are aware that Mr. Mutou is to remain as your student and family host for your stay here, correct?" Sato Sensei asked looking at Yami with a very stern look in her eye.

"Of course Sato Sensei, wouldn't have it any other way, Yugi has been nothing but a gracious host since my arrival. There would be no way I could repay that generosity by asking for a change in the form of a host." Yami replied with a reassuring smile.

Yugi blinked at Yami's statement. Gracious? Generous? Him?! Yami had to be talking about last night, because there could be no way he was talking about Saturday, that was for certain. Yugi also for some reason felt a foreboding feeling when Yami had been talking about _a host_, he couldn't help but feel like there was a double meaning to it. Yugi glanced down at the puzzle around his neck before turning to Sato Sensei.

"Um, Sato Sensei, Yami and I need to start heading to class now, or we're going to be late." Yugi said pointing to the clock behind her.

"Oh, yes, of course, well off you get." Sato Sensei said waving them towards the door.

The two boys walked out of the office, and Yugi handed Yami his new school bag, as they rushed down the hall.

"Okay, what's your locker number?" Yugi asked as they made their way towards the lockers.

"Um, 594." Yami responded.

"Really?" Yugi asked in a surprised tone.

"Yeah, why?" Yami asked confused.

"Well mine's 593, so you're right above me. This is going to be easier than I thought." Yugi said with a slightly relieved look.

"Okay, combo?" Yugi asked as they reached their lockers with 594 above 593 just like Yugi said.

"Combo?"

"Give me that." Yugi said snatching the paper from Yami's hands before he had time to protest.

"Right your combo is 8-16-5. I'll show you how to use your locker at lunch time. For now you can just throw your stuff in my locker, that means your lunch Yami, put your lunch in my locker." Yugi said failing to realize he had yet to open it, while handing Yami's schedule back to him.

"Doesn't it need to be opened first?" Yami asked with a smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth.

"Oh, ah, yeah, that would probably be helpful, okay, 7-3-19, my least favorite numbers." Yugi mumbled under his breath, before the locker clicked open.

Yami put his lunch along with Yugi's in the locker, after Yugi grabbed a couple of books out of it, and closed it.

"Come on, we need to hurry to homeroom." Yugi said grabbing Yami's hand and dragged him down back the same way from when they came before. However this time when Yugi had made a left at one of the halls to get to the office, he just kept going straight. Eventually they stopped outside of an open, door and Yugi told Yami to sit tight while he went to tell the teacher that Yami was here. Yami didn't have to wait long, before Yugi was back and pulling him into the classroom, only to let go of his hand and leave him in the front, so he could go take his seat.

"Alright class, shut it, we have an exchange student from Egypt. His name is Yami Sennen, and you will be sitting right there behind Yugi Mutou, as he is your host for your stay here. Now go sit down." Houtuo Sensei said in a very rough and informal manner, leaving Yami feeling more like a sheep in a herd than an actual person.

Yami quickly took his seat behind Yugi who was muttering something under his breath. Leaning forward a fraction of an inch, Yami realized he was counting down.

"Five..four..three..two..one..swarm." Yugi was saying barely containing his laughter.

As soon as Yugi said 'swarm', Yami was indeed swarmed by almost every girl in the classroom; one even shoved Yugi out of his seat just to get closer to him. Looking up at the girl who had pushed Yugi, Yami saw that it was Anzu; apparently she was in the same homeroom as Yugi.

"Yami Sennen huh, a perfect name for such a hot guy." Anzu said leaning over the Yami's desk giving him a clear shot to look down her blouse. Yami however stood up, and pushing past the swarm of girls around his desk, stooped down to help Yugi off the floor.

"Are you all right, Yugi?" Yami asked his voice laced with concern.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Anzu, get off of my desk, after all, you wouldn't want to get _infected_ would you?" Yugi said wiggling his fingers at her when he said the word infected, though there was no humor in his eyes to go with the motion. Yugi's words didn't just affect Anzu though; they affected all the girls around the three desks that they were around. Every girl took off back to their own seat as Yugi, Yami, and a guy with sandy blonde hair and violet eyes sat back in their respective desks.

The sandy blonde haired guy behind Yami leaned around him to talk to Yugi.

"Thanks Yugi, for getting rid of the girls. They pushed me out of my seat too to get to this guy between us." He said with a small smile.

"Oh, um, you're welcome Malik." Yugi said turning a little in his seat and leaning over to respond, though Yugi did seem confused as to why they were talking at all.

"I heard you talked to Ryou this morning." Malik said, like he was trying to strike up a natural conversation between them. Yugi didn't seem to be buying it though.

"Yeah, I-I did, we sort of bumped into each other." Yugi responded back.

Though Yami didn't know what was going on or who this 'Ryou' was, he could tell that this conversation was going nowhere fast.

"Yeah that's what he said too." Malik seemed to be able to tell the same thing as he responded.

"Right." Yugi said in a 'this couldn't be any more awkward' tone.

"'Kay." Malik said leaning back into his chair.

"Yep." Yugi responded turning back around.

Yami glanced behind him to see Malik staring at the ceiling, and then at Yugi in front of him to see him tapping his pencil on his desk. It made Yami wonder if Malik and this 'Ryou' had been part of the friend circle Yugi had mentioned earlier. He also wondered if it was possible to fix whatever had messed it up in the first place.

As Yami was contemplating this, a piece of paper bounced on top of his head and then fell in front of him on his desk. Opening the paper he was surprised to see what he was reading.

Don't trust Anzu Mazaki, she'll only tell you lies. Is it true you got Yugi to **really **truly smile at you this morning? Do you think you can help the gang, minus Mazaki, get back together? The only piece were missing right now in our circle is the one sitting in front of you. Can you try to convince him to forgive us and to come back as well? Please? ~Malik

Yami flipped the note over and wrote his own message before throwing it back over his shoulder.

_Why do you need forgiving? Who's involved? What happened to break up your group in Domino Middle to begin with? Why is Yugi still healing from it? ~Yami_

The paper came flying back sooner than Yami expected it too.

I've decided to answer your questions out of order so they make more sense. Mazaki, Hawkins, Jounouchi, Honda, Kaiba, Ishtar, Bakura, and Mutou, everyone's last name is here, including my own. You'll have to hunt each of us down in this specific order for the tale to make sense; otherwise you'll find yourself facing more questions than answers. We need forgiving because everyone between Hawkins and Mutou knew something but didn't have the heart to tell Yugi, until it was already too late, and he had found out on his own. Yugi's still healing because he has yet to accept what tore our circle apart. It's a long story, one where you'll have to be patient to hear, because many of us no longer wish to speak of it. ~Malik

Yami folded up the note, and stuffed it in his pocket turning to Malik and nodding, signaling he would help, if he could at all, but he would try none the less. Right after agreeing to help, something Yugi had said from the night before flashed across his mind. _'That's a bond that can't ever be fixed. Too many have tried, everyone has failed, the damage it was just too….disastrous.'_

The morning passed in a blur, and before Yami knew it, it was lunch time. Following Yugi down the hall, they made their way to Yugi's locker. Yugi opened his locker in a very fast motion before grabbing both of their lunches out, and shutting it again.

"Alright, I have about 30 seconds to show you how to open your own locker before we need to get out of here." Yugi quickly explained.

Yami took out his schedule and tried to hand it to Yugi, but Yugi shook his head, and put his hand on Yami's locker combination lock.

"First number right, second number left, last number right, open, got it?" Yugi opened Yami's locker as fast as he opened his own, leaving Yami to blink at his now opened locker.

"Yeah, I think, can you do that again more slowly this time?" Yami asked, clearly not having gotten it at all.

"We don't have any left. We need to move, now." Yugi said looking behind Yami before grabbing his wrist and shutting Yami's locker in the same motion that he turned around, and started to walk away, quietly.

"Hey, there he is! Where're you going Shrimp? Wait for us, we want to come too!" A voice shouted behind Yami.

"RUN!" Yugi shouted at Yami as he took off, dragging Yami with him. The two made it outside safely, but Yugi continued to run until he saw the tree he was aiming for. Getting to the tree, Yugi quickly shimmied up the trunk to one of the higher branches, way out of the reach of their pursuers. Yami however, decided to just casually lean against the tree's trunk until the group reached them, letting his bangs hide his eyes until the right moment to show them.

"Are you giving up Shrimp, because you know you can't hide from us?" the voice that had shouted before, asked Yami grabbing the collar of his jacket.

"I'm afraid you're mistaken, I'm not the one you're after. I'm Yami Sennen, what are your names?" Yami said still keeping his eyes hidden.

"Oh, did you see the Shrimp come this way?" the guy holding Yami asked, releasing Yami in the process.

"Your names? I've told you mine, common courtesy dictates you share yours." Yami said in a cool voice.

"Ushio, Bandit Keith, Satake, Takaido, and Kotsuzuka." The one in front of him answered, motioning slightly with his hands, but Yami had stopped listening after Ushio had spoken which one he was. Yami was going to show these guys real anger, they were sure to never forget any time soon. Yami slowly raised his head to look at Ushio, and was about to say something, when he caught Kaiba shaking his head at him, from the corner of his eye.

"Get lost." Were the words Yami found coming out of his own mouth and to his surprise they took off running, must have been the anger in his eyes, and words that scared them off.

Kaiba came walking up to the tree, and looked up into it, Yami looked up too, and had to do a double take. Yugi was _much_ further up in the tree then he had been the last time Yami had looked up there.

"Mutou, you can stop climbing, they're gone! Yami told them to 'get lost' and they couldn't heed his words fast enough by the way they were tripping over each other! Still, we have things we need to discuss, so get down here!" Kaiba yelled up to Yugi, while Yami was wondering if he could see the Game Shop from way up there.

Yugi looked down before he started to drop from branch to branch, until he landed lightly on the ground in front of Yami and Kaiba.

"Yes, very impressive Mutou, now down to business. Who is Sennen really, and what is he doing here?" Kaiba asked sitting down and pointing to the boy in question.

"Well, I don't exactly _know _who he is really; all I know is that this puzzle I've been working on for the past eight years came with a prize. He was it." Yugi explained sinking into a sitting position as well. He held up the puzzle for Kaiba to see, and then nodded in Yami's direction.

"When did he show up?" Kaiba asked.

"Saturday, same day and around the same time that Grandpa left." Yugi said promptly.

"Does that not seem suspicious to you Yugi? That he came and your Grandpa left almost simultaneously?" Kaiba asked Yugi with his eyes slightly narrowed.

"It would, if I didn't know my Grandpa and Rebecca's to randomly surprise each other, and go on trips in a spontaneous way, to cause enough concern for a simple note and sudden disappearance to frighten me." Yugi said in a 'you should know how my Grandpa is' tone.

"Did you check with Hawkins?" Kaiba asked.

"You don't honestly believe she'll let me near her do you? Even if I was only asking a question, who says she'll even listen?" Yugi asked with regret and venom in his voice.

"I'll ask her then. So all you know is that he came from your puzzle?" Kaiba asked skeptically.

"That's right, and I got to name him." Yugi said with a half smile.

"Well, if you treat and feed him right, I don't think your new pet will bite Mutou." Kaiba said standing up as the bell rang.

"Uh, Kaiba, could you ask Honda to show Yami where the Gym is? He has it the same time that Yami does, and everyone knows I'm not supposed to be in that area of the school anyway." Yugi said looking down at the ground in a sad way.

"Yes, I'll do that, and ask Hawkins if her and your Grandpa's took off for another one of their adventures." Kaiba said in a formal, 'we're done here for now', kind of way.

"Thanks, Kaiba." Yugi said also getting up and following Kaiba back to the school with Yami trailing behind deep in thought.

So Yami had a few first and last names to go with by now. There was: Anzu Mazaki, Rebecca Hawkins, Seto Kaiba, and Yugi Mutou. He just had to figure out what Honda, Jounouchi, Ishtar, and Bakura's first names were. He knew one was Ryou and the other Malik, but didn't know what last names they matched up with. Yet, he figured if he kept his ears open he would discover their first names soon enough, as well as their last, but Yami also had a feeling that at least Yugi was going to give him a tough time, when it came for him to tell what happened to break apart the friend circle. Yami was also wondering, what the relationship between Rebecca and Yugi was, and why her name seemed to be a sour word when coming out of his mouth. With every conversation between Kaiba and Yugi, Yami couldn't help but feel that Malik was right. He really was feeling like he was acquiring more questions than answers, but Mazaki's name was first on his list. With everyone telling him not to trust her words, how would he know what happened if he didn't start from the beginning?

"Are you coming sometime today Yami?" Yugi's voice jostled him out of his thoughts.

Yami looked up to see Yugi waiting for him at the door to get back into the building, with a slightly amused look on his face.

"Yeah, I'm coming." Yami responded, jogging to catch the door that Yugi left swinging closed for him.

**Yami: You Monster!**

**Bug off! it was necessary to the plot! **

**Yami: but why Yugi? Why not me?**

**Ignore him, thank you to all those who reviewed that are guests, but I do request that if you're a guest to NOT ask several times when I'm going to post the new chapter on the same chapter. Once is sufficient, thank you, but to answer your question, whenever I darn well please. Also, thank you to all of you who have/are favorited/following this story, and remember your opinions are valued too.**

**Yami: Why?!**

**NO SPOILERS YAMI! Review please. Midnight ;p**


	13. school part 2

**Hello, everyone, here's chapter 13, for ya'll. I do not own Yugioh, and I actually have a request for all of my reviewers. If you guys could please refrain from using vulgarity in you reviews I'd really appreciate it, thank you. Enjoy the new chapter!**

Chapter 13

As Yugi and Yami made their way back to the classroom, they ran into Jounouchi, and another guy with a crew cut styled hair and dark brown eyes.

"Hey Yug', how's your day been going so far?" Jounouchi asked.

"Oh, ah, fine, yours?" Yugi asked back.

"It's alright. What about you Yami, how's your first day been? Been carried off by any girls yet?" Jounouchi asked, in a slightly joking manner.

"It's been good, and no. Why, should I have been?" Yami asked curious.

"With the way the girls in every class have been talking about you, yeah. Then again you do have the ultimate protection charm don't you?" the other boy responded, glancing at Yugi.

Also looking Yugi's way, Yami noticed that this comment had an immediate effect on Yugi. His jaw tightened, his body became stiff, and his eyes looked straight ahead but seemed to see nothing in front of him.

"Nice talking with you again, Jounouchi, Honda, but Yami and I have to get to class now, or we'll be late. Oh, and Honda I was wondering if you could show Yami where the gym was he has P.E. last period too." Yugi spoke in a stiff and extremely formal manner.

"Ah, yeah, no problem." Honda responded.

"Thank you." Yugi said with a slight nod of his head. He then pushed past the two and was quickly making his way down the hallway. It amazed Yami once again, how someone so _small_ could move so _fast_. Yami however, hadn't completely left the hallway when he heard Jounouchi say something to Honda.

"Really Hiroto? What's wrong with you? You know Yugi still hasn't gotten over it, and you _still_ feel the need to bring it up every time you see him?" Jounouchi was saying.

"Well, nobody's helping him by pretending it never happened Katsuya. I'm trying to help him get over it, but the rest of you just seem to believe that if we ignore it long enough it'll fix itself." Honda shot back.

"We know very well that it will _never _fix itself, Rebecca and Anzu saw to that! But you bringing it up all the time isn't helping to fix things either, he gets enough reminders from his bullies, I really don't think he needs any from us too. Come on, we better get back before we get another detention today." Jounouchi said in defeat.

Ishtar and Bakura were the only half blanks he had left; he knew the full names of everyone else. Yami just had to figure out who was who of the two he had left. Yami was jerked from his thoughts when a hand suddenly came up before his eyes, and snapped twice. Yami jerked back slightly, banging his head against the wall behind him, as Yugi's voice spoke up from beside him.

"Well good, I'm so glad that snapping works seeing as calling, and shouting your name in your ear does not. Now as the warning bell has already rung, would you like to come to class now? Or serve a detention later?" Yugi said in what appeared to be an extremely annoyed voice, before marching off toward the classroom. This left Yami to rub his head while walking behind him, wondering just how long Yugi had been trying unsuccessfully to get his attention.

The two entered the classroom and took their seats just as the bell rang. Yugi however barely had time to breathe a sigh of relief before Anzu pounced, on the fact that he was _almost_ late.

"Geez, Yugi, what are you trying to do make Yami late so the teachers will label him as a trouble maker on his first day?" Anzu asked with a sneer.

"Hey Mazaki, why don't you go do the whole school a favor and go jump off a cliff? Now is _not_ the time to be bothering me with your sadistic ways." Yugi responded still annoyed, but now there was anger underlying his words.

"I bet they've all been telling you not to believe anything I say, haven't they?" Anzu asked turning to Yami, and deciding to ignore Yugi's jibe.

"I wonder why?" Yami heard Yugi mutter sarcastically.

"Well, I'm here to inform you that _they're _the ones who lie, especially Yugi, his lies are always the best." Anzu said looking at Yugi, with a mean look in her eyes.

"You know what Anzu, I think you need to go find that hole you dug for yourself in Domino Middle, you might have left your heart there. Oh, but wait that's right, you never really had one to begin with did you? If you had a heart you would have asked questions first told lies later, but seeing as you did it in the opposite order, I can only figure you were born without one." Yugi said his say, before returning to look at the front of the room.

Yami noticed that everyone seemed to be paying more attention to what was going on in this back corner of the room than to what anyone else was doing. Most of the guys seemed to be looking at Anzu in disgust, while the girls just seemed to be fixed on Yugi. Yami barely saw Anzu's hand fly out of the corner of his eye, towards Yugi. Though the only skin it came in contact with was Yugi's hand wrapping itself around her wrist, stopping the hand in its tracks.

"When will she learn?" Yami heard Malik sigh out behind him. It seemed Yugi shared his thoughts.

"When are you going to learn that I know you and Rebecca the best Anzu? Get back to your seat." Yugi asked tightening his grip a bit, before flinging her hand away as he growled at her to get back to her own seat.

Yami was amazed that everyone just turned back to their own conversations as Anzu walked back to her desk. The volume didn't rise or fall despite what they had all just witnessed, like this was an average everyday thing. Yami had no doubt that everyone at this school knew what had happened between Yugi's friend group, but none of them looked willing to fix whatever had been broken. Or if they had tried, they were the ones that had failed. Yugi's wish was to make friends, he never said _new_ friends, he just said friends. So Yami was going to make him friends, with his _old _friends, and he was determined to pay almost any price to make that happen.

(Time skip)

By the time last period rolled around, Yugi was looking more and more agitated by the minute. He was nervous that Ushio would either be waiting for him outside the classroom doors, or worse, by the Library. He had somehow gotten away from him during lunch, but he knew free period was always a good payback time for Yugi in the form of Ushio.

Yami was very concerned by the time the bell rang for the last period of the day; especially with the looks everyone was giving Yugi on their _own _way out of the classroom. For some reason everyone was looking at Yugi with pity, well everyone but Anzu that is. She looked back at Yugi with pure satisfaction on her face, and then flounced her way out the door. That gave Yami enough incentive to grab Yugi by the back of his jacket, yank him behind himself, and go out before him to see Ushio leaning against the wall across from the door to their classroom. All Yami had to do was narrow his eyes at Ushio, and he took off running, but from the groan he heard from behind him, the way Ushio was running didn't seem to be in Yugi's best interests.

Yugi had half a mind by now to just go home now, but he also knew that the Librarian would report him for skipping. So he would just have to head to the Library and Ushio anyway. Grumbling a thank you at Yami, that didn't sound very thankful at all, Yugi slowly made his way to the Library. Much to his surprise though, Kaiba and Ushio seemed to be having a glaring contest right in front of the doors to the Library, giving Yugi the chance to sneak in behind Ushio's back.

Silently cheering his good fortune, Yugi signed in and then headed towards his usual table in the back of the Library. However, upon reaching it, he found Rebecca sitting there swinging her legs, in the way that meant she was waiting for something or someone. Rebecca looked over and saw him staring at her, so she hopped off the table and walked towards him. Yugi was starting to wonder if someone had replaced his old friends with clones, they sure were in a talkative mood today, especially towards him.

"Hey, Yugi, I just wanted to tell you that yes my Grandpa did ask yours to go to Egypt with him. Did you have any more questions for me?" Rebecca asked in a strangely polite tone.

"No, just the one." Yugi responded being just as polite.

"Alright, well catch you later." Rebecca said before walking off, giving him a slight wave.

"Yeah, later. Clones, it's the only logical explanation; my old friends have been replaced with clones. That's the only way they could all be talking to me on the same day." Yugi tried to convince himself of his new theory as he sat down to do some of the homework they had been given during the day, as well as work on his research paper. Though now after today, he was thinking of asking his teacher if he could change the subject to cloning instead of writing it on the rise and fall of Egypt.

Yami wasn't having as much luck in Gym class as Yugi was having in the Library. All the girls wanted to be on his team for dodge ball, and because of this, all the guys on the other side seemed to think that he needed to be taken out. They were whipping the soft styrofoam balls at him so fast he barely had time to dodge them at all, and was starting to think if maybe just sending all of them to the Shadow Realm, wasn't such a bad idea after all. These thoughts were stopped in their tracks however as he thought of Yugi, and _his_ complaints about his Shadows. So finally deciding it would be better to concede this battle then actually try to fight in it, he allowed a ball to brush his side before going over to the 'out' line.

What shocked Yami next was how vindictive and brutal the girls could be, when he _was no longer playing_. The other side had lost before Yami could blink three times, and they were playing another round before he could blink twice. Yami had no doubt that this was _not _going to end well.

Yami and Yugi met by their lockers, Yugi looked as if he was contemplating one of life's biggest mysteries, and Yami looked like he was still trying to grasp at the threads of very complex theory. In short neither one of them saw the other until they were both on the floor, Yugi holding his forehead, and Yami his chin.

"What's the matter Yami Gym too complicated for you?" Yugi asked rubbing his head and grasping at a random locker to stand back up.

"No, the mercilessness of girls is. Did the books in the Library forget to tell or show you something?" Yami said and asked, also getting up.

"Yes, it wasn't helpful at all. The Library books and computers are suggesting that, they're real. They're actually real, but it's impossible, they can't be real." Yugi said with wide eyes and a devastated look, making Yami snap out of his own state of mind and focus completely on Yugi.

"Yugi are you okay? You look as if you are having a mental breakdown." Yami said reaching out for him.

"What no, I'm fine, completely fine." Yugi said dodging under his arm to get to his locker.

Yami did something next that was very stupid, he stepped in Yugi's way so the boy couldn't open his locker, and wrapped an arm around his waist drawing him near.

"Really, well let's test out that 'fine' theory of yours, shall we?" Yami said grinning at him in a predatory way.

"Yami would you please jus-" Yugi started to say before Yami cut him off, by kissing him.

This was even _more _stupid in Yugi's opinion, because Yami's head was at a perfect angle with his own locker, and Yugi knew the combo. Making it seem to Yami like Yugi was enjoying the kiss; he pressed up against him to reach the lock, quickly did his combination, and opened the locker to connect the long edge with Yami's head.

"Oh!" Yami exclaimed before fell taking Yugi with him to lie on top of the poor boy.

"Get off of me!" Yugi said pushing Yami off of him in the process.

"I've come to the conclusion, that you're just fine." Yami winced out, sitting up and rubbing the back of his head.

"Right, enough messing around, we need to get some food for the house, so let's get a move on." Yugi said slamming Yami's locker shut, and stepping over his legs to get to the door leading outside.

"Yeah okay, coming, thanks for waiting for me Yugi." Yami said scrambling to his feet as the door swung shut with a loud bang. Yami bolted to the door swinging it open, and sprinting out to Yugi.

"How is it you can walk so _fast _for someone so _small_?" Yami's words carried through the closing the door, and the person inside never heard Yugi's response as the door shut.

Finally coming out from their hiding spot behind the lockers, the person stood there before saying something to the now empty area.

"When will you learn Yugi, if I can't have you, no one can." The person said in an angry, tearful voice. Then they ran off, this time vowing to be more cautious in their endeavors to make Yugi theirs and theirs alone.

**Yami: Yugi is mine! I've already claimed dibs on him!**

**Yes we know, thanks to all who have/are following/favorited this story, your reviews are valued though. Also thanks to all the guests who have reviewed as well. Yugi would you like the honors of wrapping up?**

**Yugi: am I not already 'wrapped' up, Midnight?**

**I love reviewers, old and new alike, so please review. Midnight ;p**


	14. Horrifyingly Nasty

**Uh, this one's kind of short, just letting you know. I do not own Yugioh, don't hate me, enjoy!**

Chapter 14

"How is it you can walk so _fast _for someone so _small_?" Yami asked running to catch up with Yugi.

"Challenge Ushio and Bandit Keith to a race and you'll find out soon enough. I may be small, but I can out run those two slow bulking masses any day. Well, as long as the park is nearby I can." Yugi shot back over his shoulder, and started to move even faster, away from Yami.

Who could blame him, though, really? I mean the guy had just kissed him, kissed him in place where others could have _seen. _Yugi didn't need those rumors coming back; it was bad enough denying them the first time, when there _was no proof_. Though if someone had seen it this time, they would have all the proof they needed, maybe he should have wished for the rumors to go away instead of friends. Yugi couldn't help but feel that with this one kiss that Yami had given him, his whole world was going to be turned upside down _again_.

"Yugi, would you please _slow down_?" Yami shouted running up to him and grabbing his elbow, yanking him to a halt.

"Let go!" Yugi said yanking his arm out of Yami's grip.

"Will you just tell me what's wrong?" Yami asked exasperated.

"You kissed me, _again._ Only this time, you saw fit to do it in _public _where someone could _see_. I don't need to be put in the Hospital again because some psycho became jealous. Once was enough, thank you." Yugi spat the words at Yami before turning on his heel and walking towards the grocery store again that was near his house.

"Wasn't that three years ago? When you weren't home for two weeks, and when you did come back you were bedridden for two weeks more?" Yami asked his voice just barely being carried on the wind towards Yugi.

Yugi stopped and turned to look at Yami slightly before nodding his head.

"Yes, but that's a conversation for another time, after you get everyone else's stories. If you thought I was blind to your and Malik Ishtar's note passing behind me, you're quite mistaken. I just hope you're ready for a battle, because that's what you will receive. That's what everyone received." Yugi said turning back around, and continuing to walk towards the store.

Malik Ishtar and Ryou Bakura, there was no doubt in Yami's mind that Yugi had purposefully given him Malik's last name. Almost as if he knew it was one of the last pieces to Yami's own puzzle.

"Prepare the troops Yugi; I'm ready for any battle you send my way." Yami whispered in Yugi ear after he had run to catch up with him. Now that Yugi was walking at a normal pace it wasn't that hard to match him stride for stride, anymore.

"Famous last words, Yami." Yugi replied, before taking a left in front Yami.

They walked about two more blocks before they came across a store that sold food. Yugi walked inside, grabbing a basket, and wheeling it into the main part of the store. If only Yugi had known what Yami would be like in the store, he would have dropped him off at home first then gone shopping.

Two hours later, Yugi was heading home laden with bags of groceries, without Yami. He had left him in the store, on account that Yami felt the need to investigate _every _aisle and not just the ones they needed to go down. Yugi didn't have any pets, so he didn't _need_ to go down the pet food aisle. At least that's what he tried to explain to Yami, as he went rushing down the aisle. This happened to be where Yugi had given up, and just continued shopping without Yami, leaving him in aisle three, where the pet food was.

Hoisting one of the bags for a better grip, Yugi walked home alone, loaded with more groceries than he had ever carried before. This wouldn't have happened if Yami had just listened to him in the first place, and stuck to his side like he was supposed to.

Yugi was about a block from home, and crossing an intersection, when time seemed to stand still. He saw out of the corner of his eyes, a sleek black car coming straight for the intersection he was crossing, only the car was speeding up not slowing down. Yugi faintly heard a voice call out to him.

"Yug' watch out!"

Though the voice sounded familiar, he wasn't sure exactly why they were telling him to watch out. He could very well see the car coming for him, could very well focus on their license plate. So why were they telling him to watch out when he already _was _watching the black car with the tinted windows getting closer?

A heavy impact hit Yugi from the right side sending his grocery bags flying in every direction, as the force of the person grabbing him, sent them both flying out of the cars way. Yugi had a second to sigh in relief that the car hadn't hit him, before a resounding crunch met his ears, and pain shot throughout his entire lower left body.

The person who had grabbed him before, had already moved their own legs off the road, but had been unsuccessful in moving Yugi's as well. Yugi's entire left leg was bent in places it shouldn't have been, and blood was pouring everywhere.

Someone told the person who had grabbed him that they had called an ambulance, but that they should try to stop the bleeding on his leg, or Yugi would bleed to death before help could arrive in time.

"Right, here wrap this around the wound and press down." A piece of cloth was handed between the one who had grabbed him, and the one who had called the ambulance. That's when a new voice arrived in the area, and this one Yugi recognized immediately.

"Jounouchi, what did you do to Yugi?!" Yami's voice ripped through the moment of silence.

"I saved his life! Where were you?! Weren't you two supposed to be walking home together?!" Jounouchi spat back at him.

"He left me at the store that sells food, probably because I wanted to investigate every aisle. Why did you _need_ to save his life? Was it in danger?" Yami said back coldly, crouching down next to Yugi.

"Well would you consider an immobile Yugi standing in the middle of the road, as a car came speeding towards him danger?" Jounouchi asked sarcastically of Yami.

"Did you see who was driving the car?!" Yami shouted as his temper hit the roof.

"No, the windows were tinted; all I saw was a shadow of a person." Jounouchi responded, shaking his head, and starting to apply pressure on Yugi's heavily bleeding leg. He had only realized that with Yami's arrival he had forgotten about Yugi possibly bleeding to death.

Yugi's sharp cry of pain brought Yami's eyes narrowing at Jounouchi's actions, but when he saw that the boy was trying to stop the bleeding by applying pressure, he instead tried to comfort Yugi. Trying in any way he could, without kissing of course, to comfort and distract him.

This led Yami to petting Yugi's hair until the paramedics arrived. Yugi was quickly bundled up onto a gurney and loaded into the back of the ambulance, as was Yami. It was immediately assumed by the paramedics that Yami was family, because of Yugi's and Yami's twin like appearances. Yami didn't try to correct them, he just allowed himself to be ushered into the back of the vehicle as well. He wasn't going to be leaving Yugi's side for a long time, if this is what happened when he did. Yugi wasn't going to be able to leave his sight ever again. It didn't matter to Yami how much Yugi would complain about it, he was sleeping in his corner of Yugi's room again.

As soon as they got to the Hospital three male nurses had to hold Yami back while a female nurse injected a sedative in his arm. This was due to the fact that Yami had already knocked out five nurses, two doctors, and a security guard, trying to follow Yugi into the surgery room, when the paramedics in the vehicle said they were losing him as they unloaded Yugi. Yami fell unconscious but not before taking one of the male nurses with him into the oblivion he was entering.

**Heh-heh, isn't this ending ****_great?_**** Anyway, thank you to everyone who have/are favorited/following this story, reviews make a writer highly grateful. Just without vulgar language. Thank you to everyone who's reviewed, guest and users alike, I'll try to update as soon as I can, but no guarantees. Please review! Midnight. ;p**


	15. Hospital, again?

**Here's the next chapter, I do not own Yugioh, enjoy!**

Chapter 15

_Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep._

Yugi awoke to the faint sound that sounded familiar to him in a sick sort of way, almost like he had woken up to it before a different time.

Blinking his eyes to get his bearings in order, he found himself laying in a bed with white sheets, white blankets, and in a white room. All Yugi could think was 'not the Hospital, _please, _not the Hospital.' Then a pair of very concerned crimson eyes were in his line of vision, and they were all Yugi could see.

"You're awake." Was what Yami whispered to him, before Yugi's eyes closed, and he appeared to be sleeping once more. Yugi was actually just dizzy, from the shock of bright colors he had just been hit with in the form of Yami's eyes, and closing them was ebbing some of that dizziness away.

"Or not." Yami said hanging his head in defeat, and sitting back down in the chair that he was ankle cuffed to. The chain connected to the cuff gave Yami a wide sweep of the room, including the bathroom, but it was only there because of Yami's behavior two days ago, when they had first arrived at the Hospital.

"Sorry Sennen, but you'll have to attend school tomorrow. If you miss another day they're sending you back to Egypt, an option we both know isn't an option for you." Kaiba's voice split the silence in the room.

"Urgh, I can't leave him here alone Kaiba!" Yugi heard something that sounded like a chain rattle, in the same motion that he heard Yami get up, growling at Kaiba the entire time.

"Maybe you should have thought about that two days ago. If you had we wouldn't be in this room." Kaiba said taking a step in Yami's direction.

"Why don't you come closer Kaiba, so I can punch you in the face?" Yami said his voice getting deep, like it had when Yugi had seen anger pulsing in his room the night before Yami made his _grand_ appearance.

Yugi decided to stop this fight before it began, but someone else beat him to it.

"That's enough you two; you've done nothing but fight since Yugi's miraculous survival. Besides, he's not even asleep, and can hear everything you're saying, isn't that right Yugi?"

"Hi, Malik, break them up would you?" Yugi let out a sigh, knowing Malik was the only one who could tell when he actually _was_ asleep.

A hand clasped around Yugi's in the next second, giving it a slight squeeze.

"Yugi? I'm so sorry; if I had been there that person would be in your place right now, but in a much worse condition." Yami said, and Yugi felt something wet hit his hand.

Yugi opened his eyes to slits to see Yami bent over his hand with tears streaming down his face.

"Baka! I'm injured, not dying! Besides, wearing this puzzle, I don't think dying is actually an option for me. You already saved my life by putting it here, so there's no reason to apologize." Yugi cried out indignantly and slightly annoyed with the way Yami was acting. Didn't he already inform Yami he didn't need a hero? So why was he still trying to act like one?

"Ah, there's the Yugi I know." Yami said flashing his eyes up to Yugi's making his headache come back.

"Ugh, your eyes are making me dizzy." Yugi said turning away and shutting his eyes once more.

"Is that a good thing?" Yami asked smirking at him.

"No, they're too bright and vibrant, and wipe that smirk off your face." Yugi groaned.

"How could you possibly know I'm smirking with your eyes closed Little One?" Yami asked his smirk only growing as he moved closer to the boy.

"I can hear it in your voice, and what exactly is that chain connected to, you?" Yugi asked as he heard it rattle again only it sounded as if it was working its way towards his head.

"Yeah, apparently I took out quite a lot of the staff members here at the Hospital, and they're all wary of me now." Yami whispered in Yugi's ear.

Yugi jerked his head to the side, and opened his eyes again to see Yami leaning his head by Yugi's pillow on the bed. The smirk was still in place, which grew into a grin at Yugi's own wary expression to his too close for comfort position. Yugi looked around and found Kaiba sitting in a chair, watching the exchange between them with a bored expression.

"Hey, Kaiba, someone stole my Grandpa's license plates from the car. So even I don't know who wanted to kill me. Could you do me a favor and take Yami to go find them? The plate numbers are TNP-938." Yugi said, while sending Kaiba a real message of I need to talk to Malik alone, through his eyes.

"Sure, if you can actually get Sennen to move. Something he hasn't done since you were put in this room." Kaiba said back, almost like it was a challenge, which he was sure Yugi was going to lose.

Yugi sighed, and he knew that the normal puppy dog eyes wouldn't work here. He was going to have to use the Ultimate Puppy Dog Eyes of Doom. Turning to Yami, Yugi made his bottom lip quiver like crazy, his eyes sparkle with tears letting some drip over the side of his eyes, and used the kicked puppy look in his eyes to go with it. Yugi didn't need to say anything, from the expression on his face; they both knew Yami was a goner.

Yami had the appearance of a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car, even he knew there was no fighting this expression, it was worse than the one Yugi had given him Saturday early morning to get his way. How on Earth did Yugi's Grandpa deal with this? It wasn't fair for someone to look so adorable when pouting like that.

"Fine, I'll go with Kaiba. Malik if anything happens to him while I'm gone; it's you I'll be coming after." Yami sighed in defeat, before turning slanted crimson eyes on the only other boy in the room, before getting up, and walking out.

A couple of seconds after Kaiba walked out too, and shortly after that, a chain with an ankle cuff link was thrown into the room. Both boys heard footsteps walking away, but both waited until they disappeared before Yugi asked the question he _really_ needed an answer to.

"Who knows Yami kissed me in the locker area on Monday, Malik?" Yugi asked getting straight to the point.

"Everyone, a couple of freshmen were spreading it around on Tuesday. They also said you and Yami make an adorable couple." Malik said taking the chair that Yami had vacated.

"Well there goes any chance for a girlfriend. Mmm, I'm Bi, not Gay, when will people get that through their heads, any other rumors flying around?" Yugi asked rubbing his temples with his forefingers.

"Yeah, apparently, you're cheating on Anzu with him, but thankfully no one believes that one. Was it her, in the car I mean, the one who pushed you off three years ago?" Malik asked, also getting to the points he wanted to know.

"Could have been, I don't really know, the windows were tinted so dark you could only see the shadow of a person, and barely one at that." Yugi said rubbing the back of his head.

"You're really lucky you know, the car ran over a loaf of Italian bread and cranberry juice, making it look like it was your leg and blood. What really happened though was that the car just ran over a couple of your toes." Malik said giving Yugi a slight smile.

"Ah, so that was what caused the searing pain that I felt travel up my lower left half." Returning the smile, if only to make Malik feel better; he really didn't feel like sharing smiles with the other boy.

"Well, at least it wasn't that hard to find, someone was kind enough to drop them off at the police station." Yami's voice could be heard coming from down the hallway.

"Yes, but they wiped them down first, leaving no finger prints, so we're no closer to finding Yugi's would be killer." Kaiba retorted back stepping into the room, with Yami right behind him, and Dr. Matsu right behind them.

"You got lucky this time, Mr. Mutou, let's just not see you again in the care ward of the Hospital. Okay, let's see those toes." Dr. Matsu said in such a formal manner it put Kaiba's to shame.

He lifted Yugi's blanket at the end, making Yugi realize he was lying on the top sheet, not just the bottom one. Lifting Yugi's foot up, he bent a couple of toes forward to see if the healing was coming along like it was supposed to. Yugi cried out in pain at the movement, making Dr. Matsu put down his foot immediately and looking Yami's way as if to apologize for hurting him.

"Right, well you're free to leave the Hospital now that you're awake. However, I want you in bed until next Monday, and I'm sending you home with pain medication. Try to control your urge to call people on the phone when you're on it this time." Dr. Matsu said that last part like he was holding back laughter, as he walked out of the room to get Yugi's medicine.

"I'll do my best, but I make no guarantees." Yugi said looking away.

"What phone calls?" Yami asked confused.

"Oh, you just wait Yami, Yugi on pain killers is hilarious, and it's like his own personal high." Malik said like he was holding back laughter.

"Yes, Ishtar, it's very amusing when he's not calling _you_ at three in the morning just to ask what you're doing and then hang up, only to call back three minutes later complaining how _bored_ he is, because no one else will pick up their phones." Kaiba said narrowing his eyes at the boy in question.

Malik couldn't help it he burst out laughing at Kaiba's expense, before bolting out of the room, Kaiba hot on his heels.

"That's freaking hilarious!" Malik was heard shouting down the hallway.

"MALIK!" Kaiba was heard shouting after him, before a new voice joined the place, and it sounded angry.

"Get away from my boyfriend rich boy!"

"AAAAAHHHH!" Kaiba screamed as ran away from the person in the opposite direction, and straight past Yugi's room.

The guy who had spoken before came walking casually into the room, with a laughing Malik in tow. Yugi's eyes twinkled with mirth at the sight of him.

"Hey, crazy Marik, come to join the party, or to help get me home with the pizza mobile?" Yugi asked shaking with held back laughter at seeing Kaiba run past his room in absolute terror. Then again, if you didn't really know Marik, he did tend to have that effect on you.

"Bust you out of course, can't have our most frequent customer locked up in a Hospital room now can we?" Marik asked with a smirk that rivaled Yami's.

"Alright Mr. Mutou, here is your medicine, and you're free to go." Dr. Matsu said coming back in the room and holding out a small orange pill bottle to Yugi.

"Right, you, Yugi's twin, grab Yugi, and we are out of here." Marik said pointing towards Yami and then at Yugi, before walking out.

"My name's Yami Sennen." Yami called out to him before proceeding to pick up Yugi bridal style.

Yugi couldn't help but notice how perfectly he fit in Yami's arms. Almost like they were made to hold him and him alone, but he wasn't about to tell Yami this. Yami would take it the wrong way, that he was certain of. So instead he just remained silent and allowed himself to rest his head on Yami's shoulder, an act that didn't go unnoticed by Yami.

He looked down at Yugi's position and smirked, before looking back up like he didn't notice a thing. This was the second time he was able to hold Yugi like this, only with the boy conscious this time it was more enjoyable for him. Walking out of the Hospital, Yami couldn't feel any happier, than he did at that moment. Little did he know though, someone was waiting in the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment to yank the reason for his happiness straight out of his arms, and life, forever.

**See, I didn't kill him, that should put some of you at ease. Oh, and I want to try out a new system for updating, and I've decided that this chapter is when I'm going to test it out. The reason for this is because lately I feel as if I've been updating more than I've been typing, so we'll see if it works. If not, then I'll probably just update like I normally do. Right, now thank you to everyone who have/are favorited/following this story. Also thank you to everyone who reviewed guest and user alike. Please review! Midnight ;p**


	16. Unleash the mind link

**Wow, four days, it took four days to get below the two hundred mark, amazing. You guys are awesome! Anyway, I do not own Yugioh, enjoy! Oh wait, almost forgot, you're going to need one more thing before you start to read. This is YAMI, and this is ****_YUGI_****, it will make sense later in the chapter, promise. Okay, ****_now_**** enjoy!**

Chapter 16

"Here we are, home sweet home." Yami said as he opened the door and carried Yugi inside.

Yami carried Yugi upstairs and into his room, where he deposited the boy on his bed. Yugi expected him to leave, but it seemed Yami had other ideas, as he climbed on the bed with Yugi.

"Yami, we already discussed this, your room is what we used to refer to as the guest room. So get off of my bed!" Yugi said in a stern and strained voice.

"Sorry Yugi. But I need to make sure we never end up in the Hospital again. I was going to wait to do this until you were more used to my presence, but it seems as if that's no longer an option, sorry." Yami shook his head as he looked Yugi dead in the eyes, before he did something Yugi _really_ wasn't expecting.

Yami rolled over on top Yugi, pinning his arms on either side of his head and straddling his waist in the progress. Yugi of course struggled, but he stopped just as quickly when kicking caused him more pain, then it did help. When Yugi had stopped struggling, Yami closed his eyes and a golden one shined on his forehead.

"Yami, is that the eye of Hor-?" Yugi started to question, before he felt his arms yanked up and both of his wrists placed into one of Yami's hands. The free hand then came down, to place a single finger against his lips, silencing him.

Yami reopened his eyes, and as he did they seemed to be glowing like two pools of fire, instead of the usual crimson Yugi was used too. Yami's eyes trailed from Yugi's eyes down to his finger on Yugi's lips. The finger traced Yugi's lips once, before moving up Yugi's face to move his bangs away from his own forehead. Yami then placed his forehead against Yugi's, and Yugi screamed in pure agony.

Yugi felt as if someone was ripping through his brain to find something. Yugi didn't care if he would feel the pain later, he thrashed his legs to try to get Yami off of him, but Yami it seemed was stronger than Yugi had originally thought, or possibly experienced him being. Yami didn't move an inch, nor did he seem to notice Yugi in pain at all, that's when Yugi realized that he wasn't screaming out loud, he was screaming in his head, and someone was trying to get him to stop.

**Yugi! Yugi! Yugi, stop screaming! Stop, Yugi! Stop! Yugi if you don't stop screaming I'm going to kiss you! **

**_I'll stop screaming when you get off of me and stop yelling at me!_**

"Oh, good it worked, and here I thought that I had somehow reduced you to insanity." Yami said taking his forehead away from Yugi's to reveal that his eyes were once again, a piercing crimson.

"What?" Yugi asked confused.

"Again, I'm sorry but we do need to do one more thing to make the mind link binding, and Yugi I need you to respond to it." Yami said apologetically.

It was the only warning Yugi received before Yami's lips enclosed around his, in a soft gentle kiss. At first Yugi _was _unresponsive, but when it seemed that Yami wasn't going to back away from this one, he gave in and kissed the other back. Molding his lips against Yami's, his eyes fell closed, leaving Yami's to snap open not really believing Yugi was actually kissing him. That didn't mean he wasn't quick to take advantage of it though. Making sure to keep a firm grip on Yugi's wrists, he pressed the boy into the mattress beneath them, and ran his tongue across Yugi's bottom lip, asking for entrance. Yami was surprised when Yugi's lips parted giving him what he asked for, his tongue quickly darted into the moist cavern, only for Yami to yank his entire form away from Yugi a moment later.

"'At 'urt, why's you bi' my ton'ue?" Yami asked cradling his mouth.

"You said I needed to respond, not make out with you." Yugi said looking coolly up at him as Yami released his wrists, but didn't get off of Yugi.

"Yew, st'll didn' need ta bi' my ton'ue." Yami said indignantly getting off of Yugi.

"You're right, because if you had let go of my wrists, I could have pushed you away instead." Yugi said with a hint of irony in his voice, as he propped himself up on his elbows.

**Or you could have asked me to stop like this Aibou.**

Yugi jumped in surprise at hearing Yami's voice as clear as crystal in his head, and if he hadn't of been looking at Yami he would have sworn that his lips never moved.

**Something wrong, Yugi? **A smirk found its way onto Yami's lips, as he moved close to Yugi's paralyzed form.

Yugi came out of his stupor as soon as Yami moved towards him, and he didn't care if his toes _had_ been crushed by a car, he was getting away from this boy, _now_. Yugi was only able to swing his legs over the bed though before he was yanked back down on it. Yami towered above his head, as he placed his hands on either side of Yugi's face in a firm but gentle grip, leaving Yugi room only to look at Yami, and nothing else.

**Yugi, you need to calm down. This is a mind link; our minds are connected, which gives us the ability to hear each other's thoughts, if we choose to. I need you to say something in my mind right now; I need to know that the final mark of binding the mind link worked. Say something Yugi, say something in your head directed at me.**

**_Either you let go of me right now, or I'll set crazy Marik on you, he's always looking for new people to torture. I half a mind right_**** now****_ to give you to him don't make it into a final decision, Baka._**

**Ha, I'd love to see him try something, oh, and I'm vacating the room you gave me in favor of sleeping in my preferred corner.**

**_No, you're going to stay out of my room; after all Dr. Matsu said I needed my rest. With you in my room, I never seem to get _****any.**

**You're not going to win this fight Aibou. You've already been hurt once on my watch, that's something I don't intend to let happen again. Why do you think I opened this link between our minds? For fun? No Yugi, I intend to keep full track of you even when I'm ****_not _****around. You're ****_never _****going to get hurt again as long as I'm around.**

**_What part of I don't need a hero, don't you get?_** Venom was starting to leak into Yugi's tone through the link, Yami knew he needed to stop but for some reason, he just kept pushing on.

**What part of I believe you're too weak to defend yourself against everyone ****_but_**** me, don't you understand? **Yami knew he was crossing a line the moment the words were transferred into Yugi's mind, but it was already too late to call them back. Yugi was silent for a moment before words of pure anger were thrust into Yami's own mind.

**_What do you know? I get picked on by bullies at school because I fell on two of the strongest after I fell off the school's roof at Domino Middle. I suggest you start collecting those stories tomorrow Yami. Each one is the same, but also different. You'll find that they are all from different views of what happened, but only a few of us actually _****know****_ what really happened. That list Malik gave you goes easy, hard, easy, hard, easy, hard, easy, and hard. Yet, there's always one story missing, you'll have to find that one on your own. I'll help because I have to, but none of it will make sense until you get the last one, the story that's never been told, because none have ever thought to ask for it. Not even Malik, and he's been trying to glue the gang back together since seventh grade, three years ago, when the gang split up. So I strongly suggest you start getting them _****now****_, because if I know my old friends like I think I still do, you're going to be working on getting them for a long time. Good luck, and get _****off my BED! **Yugi said this last part as he thrust his fist into the side of Yami's face, who released Yugi with a cry of pain.

Yugi sat up, and hobbled his way out of his room and over to the bathroom. Shutting the door, Yugi slid down to sit on the floor with his back against the door. That's when he let the tears fall, because Yami's words were truer than even he knew. He _was _too weak to defend himself against others, but with Yami, he seemed to have no problem. Something he didn't understand, maybe it was because the boy was so confident, and Yugi wasn't used to so much arrogance hanging around someone like _him_. Or it could because the other boy had taken the liberty to kiss him on more than one occasion, and Yugi still wasn't comfortable with things like that. Especially, not after what almost happened to Rebecca, even if she didn't know it. She had come close to dying, just because Yugi had harbored feelings for her, and decided to tell her. He'd almost gotten Rebecca killed, even if it was unintentional, and now with these new rumors flying around school, who knew what _she_ would try to do to take Yami out of the picture. Yugi didn't need protecting, it was the people he cared about that did, they always seemed to be the targets of that girls' jealousy. So Yugi supposed it was a good thing that Yami had opened this link between them, because now he could keep an eye on him too. Better yet, he could keep both of them on Yami, because with that jealous hound wandering around the school unchecked, and unhindered, who knew what kind of disasters he could run into.

**Who could this mysterious person be? Right, I've set up a poll on my page, just want your guys' opinion on something, so check it out if you want. It will be up until I post chapter 18, so you'll have until then to check it out. As usual, I thank those who have/are favorited/following this story. I also thank all those who reviewed Guest and user alike. Oh, and just a reminder for those of you who have forgotten, no vulgar language in your reviews please. Please review, Midnight. ;p**


	17. Anzu's part

**Really? Well that updating plan was a bust. Time to try something new. And now, the moment you've all been waiting for, the beginning of the telling of the stories. And to kick things off we have Anzu Mazaki. I do not own Yugioh, enjoy. [YAMI, ****_YUGI,_****and **_FLASHBACK_]

Chapter 17

"Yugi, I'm going to school now, so I'll see you when I get back. Stay here and don't go anywhere." Yami's voice sounded through Yugi's door the next morning.

Yugi hadn't gotten a goodnight sleep, even though he had thought he had kicked Yami out last night. He had a feeling of being watched most of it, from that corner of his room, so he had a sneaking suspicion that Yami had come back in once he was asleep. He really needed to get a lock for his door, but in the meantime, that didn't mean he couldn't try to spy on Yami. Yugi was more worried about him than he was himself, anyway.

The minute Yami walked in school on that Thursday morning people congratulated him left and right, for hooking Yugi into a relationship. Yami didn't have a clue as to what any of them were talking about, and after about the 45th or 50th congratulations, he grabbed the girl whom had congratulated him and demanded an answer.

"Why are congratulating me, and what relationship are you talking about?" Yami asked thoroughly confused by this point.

"Uh, your relationship with Yugi, it's about time he started dating again." The girl responded.

"Yugi dates?" Yami asked, even more confused by this blunt statement.

"Well he did, but then there was the roof incident in Middle School, and he just stopped. Shame too, he's really quite the looker, but you already know that don't you?" the girl said looking disappointed before she smiled at Yami. Then the girl walked away, leaving Yami, yet again, with more questions than answers.

Shaking his head, Yami hurried off to his homeroom, where he hoped to corner Anzu, and ask her to eat lunch with him, so he could get started on his list of people's stories to collect. Anzu was sitting on Yugi's desk when Yami walked into the room. Thinking this was too perfect he walked up behind her to whisper his request in her ear.

"Hey, Anzu, I was wondering if you and I could have lunch today? You know together?" he asked in a smooth voice.

"Sorry, no. If I'm caught having lunch with you alone, this school will think I'm trying to steal you form Yugi." Anzu said turning back around, and talking in a not so quiet voice.

"Yugi and I aren't dating. Heck, when he gets back to school and hears that rumor, he'll probably think I started it. Besides, what's lunch between two friends?" Yami said giving Anzu his trademark smirk at the end. She must have borrowed Yugi's immune system to his smirk, because she seemed completely unaffected by it as she raised an eyebrow at him.

"We're not friends Yami, and we never will be. You only want my story, so meet me at the park after school and I'll give it to you. No sense in beating around the bush with this subject Yami, just ask what you really want from us, it's the only way you're going to get it." Anzu said, and then she slid off Yugi's desk and went back to her own.

Yami shook his head and sat down in his own seat, right behind Yugi's empty one. The girl next to Yami leaned over to talk to him.

"Hey, you're Yami Sennen right?" she asked.

"Yeah, and you are?" Yami asked raising an eyebrow.

"Another face among the crowd, but be careful dating Yugi, bad things always seem to happen to those he likes. I mean just look at what almost happened to Rebecca, just be careful, you're new, and I doubt any one wants to see you get hurt like she almost was." The girl said before turning back in her own seat, and facing the front.

Yami turned to look at Malik behind him, and mouthed 'who is she', to him. Malik responded with a shrug of shoulders and a shake of his head, he didn't have a clue. Yami supposed she really was just another face in the crowd, like she said.

**_Who is? Yami, who is just another face in the crowd?_**

**Uh, the girl sitting to my right is. Why do you think you know her? And how did you even get past my mental barriers?**

**_You had mental barriers? Well I didn't hit any walls, and Yami, there isn't _****supposed ****_to be anyone sitting in the desk to the right of you. The boy who usually sits there, he's in France for another week._**

**What are you talking about Yugi? She's…gone, where'd she go? **Yami rolled his eyes, and looked to his right to find the seat empty. He scanned the room a couple of times but the girl wasn't anywhere to be seen. Was she even in this class? Or had she simply snuck in and out, and no one had noticed.

**_Most likely no one noticed. What did she look like?_**

**I don't know, I wasn't really paying attention. What almost happened to Rebecca?**

**_She can tell you herself, when it's her turn to talk. I'm done giving you pointers for my old friends, and that idea of yours to get us back together, not likely to happen._**

**Yugi, the teacher just walked in. Go away, I need to focus.**

**_Great, I'll join you! This way I won't miss anymore than I already have. Don't you think that opening this mind link of yours was a great idea? I don't miss out on school, and I get to make sure that 'psycho' doesn't approach you in a hostile way._**

**Psycho? Who's that?**

**_Teachers calling your name, and the answer to her question is a=pi over b squared. _**

"A=pi over b squared, Karu Sensei." Yami responded promptly after Yugi gave him the answer. Though he was pretty sure that could be considered cheating.

"Oh, so you were paying attention, all right." Karu Sensei said before moving on to her next victim.

**_Yeah, it's cheating, but if you were paying attention, I wouldn't have had to give you the answer._**

**How can anyone pay attention with a voice in their head?**

**_Right, being quiet now, but before I do, did you get your uniform from the office yet?_**

**No, Kaiba did, and then he threw it at me the minute he got into the Hospital room. Is he always so cold to everyone he just meets?**

**_No, he's terrified of crazy Marik, but that might have had something to do with the prank Jounouchi and Marik pulled on him in the sixth grade. Wasn't a pretty ending, oh, she's looking back this way. We'll talk during History; Hino Sensei never pays attention to what the students are doing in his class._**

**Yugi? Are you still in my head, or are you doing something else? Yugi?! **

Yami was starting to really regret opening the link. Yugi seemed to have free range of his mind, where he had nothing in Yugi's own. The entire time he was walking to school, he had tried, unsuccessfully, to pull down Yugi's mental barriers but to no avail. Yet, Yugi just breezes through his like they weren't even there! The whole point of him opening the link was for him to check up on _Yugi_, not have Yugi checking up on _him._

**_Believe me mou hitori no boku, you'll be happier if you don't have an insight into my mind. It's been warped and twisted, I'm not the same person I was three years ago, someone in this school took that security away. As long as they roam free, I'll never get it back, I'm going to get something to eat, enjoy the lesson!_**

**Yugi?**

Yeah, Yami definitely regretted not having control over the whole mind link thing. Was there anything Yugi _wasn't_ too intelligent for? Even school was a breeze for him, he couldn't count how many times he had heard Yugi complaining to his Grandpa that school was boring, and it provided no challenge for him. Of course, Yugi hadn't been aware that Yami was in the room either, every time he had voiced that complaint.

Yami was jolted out of his thoughts, when something sharp struck his back, making him cry out in slight pain and surprise. What was it with people hurting him? After getting over his initial shock he became aware that Karu Sensei was in front of his desk with her arms crossed, and her foot tapping the ground.

"The answer Mr. Sennen, sometime today would be nice." She said with a grating edge, like nails on a chalkboard, in her voice.

Looking past her slightly, Yami saw that the problem on the board in front was very long, and he had no idea what the answer to that was. Thank goodness he had Yugi though; he came to his aid just like the last time and provided the answer.

**_Z=653._**

"Z=653, Karu Sensei." Yami said looking back at his teacher.

"Lucky answer, you must have an intellect like your host Mr. Mutou. He never pays attention either, but gets the answer right every time." Karu Sensei said and then turned on her heel and marched her way back to the front of the classroom.

**Thanks, Aibou.**

**_Pay attention, and I wouldn't have to give you the answer._**

**A simple you're welcome would have sufficed just fine.**

**_You're welcome._**

Time seemed to pass by slowly for Yami, that day, even with Yugi's comments in every class. He just wanted to get to the park, and get Anzu's story. So he could get home and have Yugi tell him which was lie and which was fact.

**_That's for you to figure out, baka._**

He also really needed to stop thinking all together, because Yugi's comments weren't helping very much. Finally, the last bell rang, releasing him from Gym. Today they had played something called kick ball, apparently he was good at it. At least that's what all the girls were telling him anyway. Running to the park, Yami realized he had no idea where to meet Anzu, and if he had been tricked, when she came walking up to him.

"Over here Yami, out in the open, this way no will think I'm trying to steal you from Yugi. Oh, and I didn't create that rumor going around that Yugi's dating me." Anzu said leading him over to a bench literally out in the open for everyone to see.

"Do you want me to ask questions or do you just want to start?" Yami asked sitting down and pulling out a notebook and pencil.

"I'll talk, you write, seventh grade, three years ago, that's where this starts. I had a crush on Yugi, but then again, who didn't? He was an absolute cutie! I heard a rumor traveling around school that Yugi was going to confess to one of his friends that he liked them. I immediately thought that I had to be the lucky girl they were all talking about, so I went to find him. When I finally did, he was talking to someone else." Anzu talked with her eyes downcast.

_"-Relationship with you, than not have one at all." Yugi said._

_"Thanks Yugi, I hoped I could trust you to understand." Rebecca's voice responded back._

"The minute I heard Rebecca's voice, I peeked around the corner to see them hugging. I got really upset, and wasn't really thinking clearly. Especially about the damage it could do to Yugi's and my own friendship. Though I wasn't the only one who saw them hugging, I saw the uniform of another girl running away on the other side of the grounds, she looked as if she had been crying. So I thought I would get revenge for the both of us. I found Ryou wandering around looking for Jou, and told him an improvised version of what I had just seen." Anzu still had her eyes downcast, but Yami couldn't tell if it was out of shame or sadness.

_"Really Anzu? Yugi told Malik he liked him and they're going out next Friday? I thought Yugi liked Rebecca, guess I read the signals Yugi was giving off wrong. I can't wait to see the look on Jou's face when he hears this." Ryou said before running off._

"I thought I was getting revenge, for an assumed wrong, the only problem was I didn't hear _all_ of Yugi's words." Anzu finally looked up at Yami, and he could see pure regret in her eyes for the actions she had committed.

_"I don't know what you're talking about Honda. I told __Rebecca__ I liked her. She told me she didn't feel the same way, but she didn't want to ruin our friendship either, so was there some way we could work things out. I said yes, because I would rather have a friendly relationship with her, than not have one at all. I don't know where these stories are coming from and Malik is just as confused as I am." Yugi was talking to Honda as he passed by Anzu's locker on the way to his own._

_"You think maybe someone heard you wrong Yug'? Like maybe they only caught the tail end of your conversation?" Honda asked stopping at a locker a few down from Anzu's._

_"Well, if they did, I wouldn't know how they got Malik mixed up in the picture. I was clearly with a girl with bright blonde hair, not sandy blonde. I mean Malik's hot and all, but I just don't swing in his direction of type, and I __know__ I don't swing in his. It's dead obvious that Malik likes Marik and vice versa, but with this rumor going around, Marik's backed off. Everyone knows that Marik won't go after someone who's taken, but that's kind of the problem, because Malik __isn't__ taken, least of all by me. I just wish I knew where this rumor originated from. Come on Honda we better hurry or Malik's going to throw a fit if we're late to the Library, __again__." Yugi said talking intensely with Honda, not even noticing that Anzu was listening to every word, and starting to feel awful with the rumor she had started._

"They both ran off towards the Library, leaving me there to contemplate for the first time the weight of my actions. I was stressing over the whole thing for the rest of the day. I was trying to decide if I should tell Yugi that I started the rumor, wait until one of our other friends told him, or if I should just let him find out for himself. I stressed over it so much that day that I wound up getting myself sick. The day that I was at home in bed sick, was the day Rebecca pushed Yugi off the roof. Or at least that's what Jou told me, I wouldn't actually know, I wasn't there. So I can't say for sure if that's actually what happened. It took a total of two weeks to tear our friendship group apart, all because Yugi fell, was pushed, jumped, off the roof, I heard so many different versions I couldn't tell you which was true. The only common denominator in every one though, was that Rebecca was seen on the same roof that Yugi had fallen off of. I can't say for certain if it _was _her, but I can tell you that Rebecca was really upset with Yugi, because she believed he had played her as some kind of prank or bet. Yugi was known to make bets with Jou and Malik all the time, sometimes Ryou and Kaiba would join in, but it wasn't often." Anzu said all of this looking at Yami, even though he could only see her out of his peripheral vision, as he was writing down her story.

"Is that it?" Yami asked looking up at her, his pencil still poised to write.

"Yes, that's it. I have to get home; my Mother and Father will be worried about me. Good luck with Rebecca Hawkins, you're going to need it, she doesn't really like to talk about what happened. Neither does Honda or Malik for that matter, and especially not Yugi. You'll have to be _very persuasive_ to get his story." Anzu said looking down again, before getting up off the bench, and starting to walk away.

Yami looked and read over the story Anzu had just given him, and he noticed something about it, that he hadn't when she was talking.

_"Though I wasn't the only one who saw them hugging, I saw the uniform of another girl running away on the other side of the grounds, she looked as if she had been crying."_

Someone else had seen Yugi with Rebecca that day, and if someone else mentioned in their story that Anzu was indeed sick the day of the roof incident, Anzu wouldn't be a liable suspect anymore. Though, if Yugi had found out from a friend or worse on his own that Anzu had started those rumors about him and Malik, it _would_ explain Yugi's disgust and pity for the girl. Geez, all this thinking was making Yami's head hurt. He decided to head home too, he hadn't heard from Yugi since right before Gym class, and it was starting to concern him. He would have thought that Yugi would have wanted to place in his input into Anzu's story. Then again Yugi had told him that that was for him to figure out on his own.

Yami made his way up the stairs and into the house part of the Kame Game Shop. There he was met with a sleeping Yugi on the couch in the living room, with the TV on too. It looked as if Yugi had been watching some type of cartoon show before he had drifted off to sleep. Chuckling quietly under his voice, he put down his backpack and scooped Yugi up off the couch. Yami then took the sleeping boy upstairs to his room and deposited him on the bed.

Running a hand briefly through Yugi's hair, Yami went back downstairs to retrieve his backpack so he could work on all the school work that the teachers saw fit to dish out to the students. Where it would have taken Yugi a good two to two and a half hours to complete all the work, it took Yami five and a half. Yami ended up falling asleep on the couch too, and didn't wake up until the next morning, when Yugi saw fit to put the 'just about to go off' alarm clock right by his ear.

"See? It's more fun to hit it across the room to turn it off." Yugi said as he hobbled over to the door to pick up the alarm clock where Yami had smacked it.

"Yeah, yeah, I've got to get ready for school and you're supposed to be resting your foot, not walking on it." Yami said stretching and getting up.

"Had to make sure you got up, and now that you are, I'm going back to bed." Yugi said yawning and heading back up the stairs.

**That was really loud and obnoxious Aibou.**

**_That's kind of the point Yami, goodnight._**

* * *

**Right, the line, is to distinguish me talking from the story. Thank you to all of those who have/are following/favorited this story, your opinions are welcome whenever you'd like to share them though. thank you to everyone who reviewed Guest and user alike. I'm extremely bored, and have a serious case of writers block, so ya'll might be waiting a while for chapter, ah...18. Yeah, 18, please review, because it might help with my writers block. Midnight ;p**


	18. Rebecca's part: part 1

**Hey, ya'll how's it hanging? If there are any grammatical errors in this chapter I'm fixing them tomorrow, because I'm too tired to do it right now. Sorry for not updating sooner, but my week has been like a circus, I've been spending more time inside a car then I have in my own home, so yeah. On the plus side this chapter is long, and has been split into two parts. Right, I do not own Yugioh, enjoy! [YAMI, ****_YUGI, and_**_ FLASHBACK_]

Chapter 18

"Leave me alone, Sennen! I told you already I don't want to talk about it!" Rebecca yelled at Yami as she made her way through the hallways to her next class.

"Why not? What happened that was so bad that you don't wish tell me your story of events of what happened?" Yami asked back, following the girl.

"Simple, every time I tell someone _my _story they then run off to get Jounouchi's. Next thing I know that same person is giving me dirty looks only to turn into sorry looks a few days or sometimes weeks later. So shove it, Sennen! You're getting nothing from me!" Rebecca whipped around, and started to yell and make wild hand gestures in Yami's face. Lastly she gave him a dirty glare and walked swiftly into her classroom.

"Hey, Yami, whatever she tells ya, it isn't the truth. She'll say anything to make you believe her, but her story is just a web of lies." Jounouchi said coming up behind Yami, to slide through the door too.

**_And Jounouchi believes he knows _****everything****_, he's just as bad as Anzu on this subject. He's just as much at fault as her, what he sees is the truth, what he hears is not. Go to class Yami, you can talk to Rebecca at lunch; she'll be in the Library._**

**I thought you weren't giving me anymore help.**

**_I didn't think she'd be as stubborn as a Honda._**

**As stubborn as a Honda?**

**_You'll understand eventually, now get to class!_**

Yami made it into class just second before the last bell rang, sighing in relief he took his seat in front of Malik.

"Is Rebecca being difficult in giving you her story?" Malik asked from behind him.

"Is it really that obvious?" Yami asked back, looking over his shoulder.

"No, but the news traveling through the school is. Almost everyone now knows that you're after our stories, and Honda says he's going to make it a good habit of his to avoid you until you drop it. The only problem with his plan is that you guys share Gym together, so he can't avoid you there." Malik said snickering a bit, under his breath.

"What did Jounouchi mean when he told me Rebecca's story is nothing but a web of lies?" Yami asked Malik.

"Don't listen to that baka, he hasn't got a clue as to what he's talking about. Every time someone tries to tell him what really happened he just blocks it out, he wouldn't even listen to Yugi. That's saying something too, he _always _listens to Yugi, or at least he used to." Malik huffed out, and rolling his eyes on what seemed like every other word.

This left Yami to contemplate what exactly it could be that Jounouchi _thought _he knew, yet both Yugi and Malik seemed to disagree with. The first time he had seen Yugi and Jounouchi interact they seemed to be on good terms with one another, but now Yami wasn't so sure. Thinking of the first time he saw the two of them interact with each other made Yami realize that Marik had been mentioned not only in Anzu's story, but by Yugi too, and he had also met Marik. So why wasn't he in the list of stories to be collected? Wasn't he affected by these events too?

"Hey Malik, why isn't Marik on this list of names?" Yami asked turning around in his seat to look at the boy in question.

"Oh, because Marik is two years older than us, and everything he heard he got from Bakura or Ishizu, and as such he got two different versions. Oh, and Bakura Kulena is Ryou Bakura's boyfriend. It can be confusing sometimes, because they share a name." Malik said with a sigh, almost like he had expected the question sooner.

"Why doesn't Rebecca want to talk with me?" Yami asked, just as Kura Sensei walked into the classroom.

"She knows you'll turn against her until you hear my story, just like everyone else and she's tired of it happening." Malik whispered before straightening up in his chair.

Yami nodded and turned around in his own to face the front of the room. With every new answer, he felt as if he was receiving three more questions. Who was Bakura? Who was Ishizu? How were they connected to Yugi, and if so, how come he had only met Marik and not the other two? Yami was becoming hopelessly confused. Upon realizing this, he became aware that he probably should have paid closer attention to Yugi's life when the boy wasn't aware of his presence.

**_Sure would have saved you from a lot of the headaches you're getting now. Ishizu is Malik's older sister. Bakura is Marik's cousin. Now pay attention, I don't want to have to tutor you when exams come up. I'll be too busy studying for my own._**

Yugi's voice was lazy, making Yami think he was half asleep explaining this to him. Yami started to pay attention though. After all, he wouldn't want to take Yugi's _precious_ time away, when he needed to be studying for his exams. The classes seemed to speed by Yami in a blur, and sooner than he could comprehend it was lunch time.

Using the instructions Malik had given him, Yami made his way to the library. Right outside the doors however he caught sight of the girl that he had seen yesterday in his homeroom. Yami paused to ask her what her name was, but the girl rushed away, as soon as Yami started to approach her. Watching her disappear around the corner, Yami decided that getting Rebecca's story was more important than chasing after some nameless girl.

Going into the Library Yami signed in at the desk, and then made his way through the shelves trying to find a glimpse of bright blonde hair. By the time lunch was almost over he finally caught sight of her, walking out the main Library doors on her way to her next class. What a waste of Yami's time this was, if only Yugi had given him more of a hint than 'in the Library at lunch time'.

**_Now come on Yami, if I made this easy for you, how would I get any fun out of it?_**

**Fun? You call this fun? Chasing after people all day, trying to get stories of what they saw, is fun?**

**_Well it's fun for me to hear your frustrations at being unsuccessful in your endeavors._**

**Humph.**

Laughter trickled through their link, and Yami's brain felt like it was being tickled slightly. It was a very peculiar feeling, one he felt he would have to get used too, as he was probably going to be the jester in many of Yugi's jokes.

Just as Yami was thinking this he caught sight of Rebecca coming out of the girl's latrines. However as soon as Rebecca saw that Yami had seen her, she took off at a Yugi type of walking pace, leaving Yami to run after her. What was it with all the short people in this school? How was it possible for them to move so much faster than those that were taller, and had longer legs then them?

Finally catching up to Rebecca he managed to grab her arm just above the wrist, right before she was able to dart into her classroom. Yanking on the arm he had in his grasp slightly he was able to get her to look at him, with a very heated glare.

"What Sennen? Didn't I already tell you to beat it? So why are you still bothering me?" there was hatred and venom in every word that Rebecca spat at him.

"I'm not going to leave you alone, until I receive your part of this tale. You seem to be a big part of it; I want to know how big." Yami's chest was heaving as he spoke, mostly from the run he had just had, but the other part was slightly out of anger.

"No, you're just going to judge me like everyone else before you have all the facts." Rebecca said, as she desperately tried to free herself from Yami's grip on her arm.

"No, Rebecca, I'm not here to judge anyone, I'm here to listen. I won't be doing any judging until I hear everyone's tale, including Yugi's. Only after I get everyone's stories can I put a timeline on it, and piece together what truly happened. Then I'll be judging, each and every one of you, including Yugi. I have a feeling that everyone has been blaming each other for so long, that you've all forgotten how you're to blame too." Yami looked directly in Rebecca's eyes as he spoke, releasing her from his grip, when he had stopped talking.

Rebecca stared back at Yami for a few seconds, before the first bell signaling lunch was over went off. Then she nodded her head, closed her eyes, took a deep breath and released it, and opened her eyes again.

"Meet me tomorrow at lunch by the cherry blossom tree on the grounds. We'll talk there, I truly hope you can stick to your words and not judge before you know everything. Yugi's the only one who knows that, we're all just the pieces in his puzzle, trying to make sense of something without all the right parts." Rebecca told Yami before turning around and heading into her classroom, before Yami could ask her what she meant by that.

Yugi knew everything? Then why was he getting everyone else's stories when he could just go straight to the source? Oh, that's right, because he needed Yugi's help to get the last piece that would string all the stories together. Though from the way Yugi talked it wasn't _his _story that was the string, it was someone else's that no one knew about, except _Yugi._ Hearing the warning bell ring, Yami hurried off to his own classroom.

Gym was absolute murder for Yami today; they played a new game called Volleyball. Apparently it was a game where you attempted to slam a ball into the person directly across from you on the other side of the net. It was worse than dodge ball; because apparently you were supposed to hit it back, not try to dodge it. Yami ended up with a bloody nose, and slightly swollen cheek from that last spike that one of the other boys, someone called Ryuji Otogi, had hurtled his way. He was given permission by Hiwatari Sensei, to sit out for the rest of the period after that. Something Yami was very grateful for, and Otogi was given permission to go to the Headmaster's office on account of unnecessary brutality. Something Yami was sure he would try to get revenge for later. He just hoped that Otogi had enough common sense to give up when he knew defeat was the only option for him. This was something Yami had come to grips with in Gym, defeat was his only option.

**_Weird, that's not what it says on this box that came with the puzzle. Apparently you're supposed to be really good at games. Get Rebecca's story yet?_**

**Where have you been all day? I'm getting her story tomorrow at lunch, or were you doing something else at that time?**

**_Lunch, lunch, lunch, what was I doing at lunch time? I can't seem to remember, oh, wait that's right, because I was sleeping during lunch. I'm hungry, later._**

**It's a one track mind with you isn't it?**

**_Nope, if I had a one track mind, you'd have access to it already wouldn't you? So I like to think of my mind as having many tracks. Yours is the one with one track, and no walls, giving anybody access to secrets within. Or almost all of them, I think I finally found that mental barrier you were talking about, but it's buried really deep into your subconscious. Still, I'll continue to work at it until I get through._**

**I really wish you wouldn't, just leave it alone.**

**_Oh, so you know what I'm referring to?_**

**Leave it be Aibou, that's my soul room, and you won't be able to gain access to it until I give you permission. Something I don't intend on doing until absolutely necessary.**

**_Don't you know how much I like challenges Yami?_**

**Aibou, don't make me use Shadow Magic on my own mind to keep you out. **There was a warning in Yami's tone that even Yugi couldn't ignore.

**_Alright, alright, I'll back off. Geez no need to get all threatening. When are you coming home, I'm bored. _**

**I'll be home when Gym lets out. Why aren't you in Gym Yugi?**

**_I'm not in Gym, because my Grandpa didn't want to give my bullies another way of making my life miserable. So he made a deal with the school for me to take Study Hall, instead of Gym. Why, do you not like Gym?_**

**No, I don't, the other boys in Gym class have targeted me as their number one enemy. They make it a point of making this period seem more like a murder session, with me as their victim.**

**_It only lasts for one week, this is the measuring you up part. They're trying to see if you're someone to be left alone or another punching bag waiting to happen. Didn't I mention this before? I was sure I did…Did I?_**

**No, you neglected to mention that part.**

**_Oops, sorry, well I'm sure by tomorrow you'll change their image of you, no worries, and no sweat._**

**Easy for you to say, you don't have to play Volleyball.**

**_I think you mean Volley 'pummel the other male players into the ground' ball. Does that sound about right?_**

**Heh, yeah, that sounds perfect. Oh, there goes the bell for release, I'll be home soon.**

**_I'll be here._**

Yami rushed to get dressed back into his uniform, and then practically ran all the way back to the Game Shop. Upon entering the Shop however, he was met by Yugi, who had a long piece of paper in his hands.

"Since our groceries were ran over, I thought maybe you go out to get some more. Here's the list of things we need, and here's a check, the only thing you need to fill in on it is the price of everything once it's been totaled. Grandpa took care of the rest. Oh, and don't worry, I called ahead and told them that a guy who looked similar to me would be paying with one of my Grandpa's checks. So go to check out lane six, that's the one that will be waiting for your arrival." Yugi told all of this to Yami, while handing him the long piece of paper with a smaller rectangular piece of paper, paper clipped to it, took his backpack, and ushered him back out the door.

**Yes Yugi, I had a great day at school. Thanks for asking. Oh and also for being so concerned about the marks on my face, thanks for asking about those too.**

**_Well I kind of figured those were from Gym, was my guess wrong?_**

**No.**

**_Okay then, so tomorrow, cherry blossom tree, lunch, Rebecca says if you don't show up, you'll be waiting until same time next week for her part of the puzzle. You better go, because Anzu's Rebecca's and Jounouchi's are the worst ones in their own rights. Wait, why am I helping you with them? Get groceries, come straight home, no detours. I still have to make dinner for us._**

The link went strangely silent, and Yami took this as a sign that Yugi was out of his head. Leaving Yami room to think about Anzu's story from yesterday, and what details Rebecca's could have that would throw hers out of synch. Yami also wondered what the time line for this whole event really was. Did it take a couple of days, or a few weeks to circulate the whole school and make its way back to Yugi? Or perhaps one of Yugi's friends told Yugi whom had started the rumor? The part that made him question Anzu's story the most though was the part about the other girl. Was the girl real? Or had Anzu just made her up as a ruse to get Yami off her tail? So many questions were bouncing around in his head that he almost didn't notice the person he was about to walk into.

"Oh, sorry, I wasn't paying attention to where I was walking." Yami said moving aside for the other male.

"Hmm, Marik was telling the truth, you and Yugi really could be twins. Bakura Kulena, Marik Crayzee's best friend and Ryou Bakura's boyfriend." Bakura stuck out his hand for Yami to shake.

Yami took the hand and shook it while staring at the other male before him.

"Crayzee? That's Marik's last name? I thought he _was _crazy, but it's actually his name, and his last one at that." Yami looked baffled, with this new information he had just received, releasing Bakura's hand in the process.

"Trust me Sennen; the name suits him more than you'd think. Good luck with your collection, Honda can be as stubborn as mule when it comes to story time." Bakura said with a smirk, and walked across the street.

Yami watched him as he disappeared around the corner of a building. Shaking his head, Yami hurried off to the grocery store. Sticking to Yugi's list, he was able to get in and out in only two hours. Though the fact that Yugi had actually put down what aisle every item was in, might have been helpful too. Yami was surprised that the groceries totaled to only a $65.38, with as much food as there was in the cart he had been pushing around, he was sure it would have been more.

Now, actually getting the groceries home, that's where Yami had a little difficulty. Handling four brown paper bags and six plastic ones is no easy task. So deciding to take a shortcut, Yami ducked into an alleyway, and opened the void to Yugi's room. Needless to say, Yugi was pretty surprised when Yami just showed up in his room laden with bags of groceries.

"Wha-, bu-, HOW?!" Yugi was very confused.

"These are _heavy_, why did we need so much food?" Yami complained dumping some of it on Yugi's bed, and the rest on the floor.

"We need all that food, because we're feeding two people not one. You do know you're going to have to pick all of that backup right? It goes in the kitchen, not my bedroom, and that's how you get in huh? Well, I'm going to have to do something about that." Yugi said exasperated, before looking at the mess Yami had just made and back into the dark corner of his room.

Yami groaned, and face planted into the floor, where he proceeded to talk into the carpet.

"I'm sorry, I don't speak carpet." Yugi said looking down at Yami, amused by his behavior.

"I said, why don't you do it? You seem to be capable of moving, and I'm tired from all the labor I've been doing all day. I just want to rest, for like five minutes, is that too much to ask for?" Yami said raising his head slightly to look up at Yugi.

"I suppose not, okay, I'll let you rest, while I make dinner. I hope you like Miso soup, with teriyaki fish and rice, because that's what's on the menu." Yugi said in a cheery fashion as he grabbed a couple of bags and made his way, limping, out the bedroom door.

Wait, limping? Why was Yugi limping? According to his doctor, if Yugi kept himself in his bed, and only got up when he needed to use the bathroom, or eat, he shouldn't even _be _limping. He should have almost perfect toes again by now. So what was Yugi doing when Yami was gone, that was causing him to limp like that?

Groaning Yami raised himself off the floor, grabbed the rest of the bags and made his way down the hallway to the kitchen. There he found Yugi putting things away and leaving others out. Yugi already had the fish out and was starting to cut it open, so he could get the bones out, when Yami walked in. Yugi looked up briefly, before focusing on the task he was currently doing.

"Thought you wanted some time to rest?" Yugi asked, as Yami started to put things away. It was easy considering there were little notes all over the kitchen saying which things went where. The things that didn't belong in the kitchen went either in the linen closet or the bathroom. By the time Yami was done, and had made his way back into the kitchen, Yugi was working on making the teriyaki fish and Miso soup at the same time. The rice seemed to be cooking on its own in a rice cooker.

"Yugi, what have you been doing during the day? You're supposed to be resting, but from that limp you have, I can guess that you've been doing the exact opposite." Yami said walking over to the table and sitting in one of the chairs.

Yugi turned his head in Yami's direction, like he was going to say something, but ended up turning it forward again, and keeping silent. There weren't any sounds in the room for a couple of minutes besides the sounds of soup bubbling and fish sizzling.

"Yugi? Care to share your thoughts with me?" Yami asked gently, hoping to coax an answer out of the boy.

"I've been calling Marik and Ishizu, I'm hoping they can help keep you out of trouble until I get back to school. Sounds as if they've been successful so far, since you don't have any bruises besides the ones you got from gym, yes?" Yugi said to the stove in front of him.

"You've had people tailing me?" Yami asked slightly shocked, that he hadn't noticed.

"Well, they're both seniors so they don't have as many classes as we do, so I thought they could keep an extra eye on you. Bad things happen to those who get close to me, and you're the closest of them all. You live with me, and if that hasn't reached her ears by now, well it's only a matter of time." Yugi said as he turned off the stove and pulled the hot dishes off the burners and put them on the back ones to cool off.

Yugi made, hobbled would actually be the correct word, his way over to the rice cooker, and turned it off as well. Then he went to get dishes for the two of them, and that's where Yami stopped him. Getting to his feet quickly, he gently scooped Yugi up, and deposited him in the chair, that he had been sitting in, before pushing it in. then Yami went to get the plates, glasses, silverware, and small bowls. Scooping some soup into each bowl, he set those on the table. Then he put some rice and fish on each plate, and set those on the table too. Setting down the glasses, and silverware, Yami went to the fridge to get the milk. Placing that on the table as well, he pulled out another chair and sat down, directly across from Yugi.

"Who are you so worried about Yugi?" Yami asked as he poured milk for both of them.

"Someone very dangerous, the only other person who knew how dangerous that girl was, moved away after what happened to him. I can't _tell_ you who it is, I can only try to _show_ you who it is." Yugi said looking at Yami, and for the first time, Yami could actually see the terror in Yugi's eyes.

Whoever this mysterious girl was, Yugi was terrified of her, and it made Yami wonder why. What had Yugi so terrified, that he wouldn't even risk saying the girl's name? What did this person have over Yugi, that made him so afraid for everyone else's well being, but barely his own? Who was she, and what did she do that was so bad that Yugi didn't feel safe anymore, even in his own home?

**[yawn] I thank all those who have/are favorited/following this story, and those who've recommended my story to their friends. I would also like to thank those who reviewed, Guest and User alike. Reviews are very welcome, so please review. Midnight ;p [night everyone, I'm hitting the hay]**


	19. Rebecca's part: part 2

**What are the odds that there actually ****_weren't_**** any spelling mistakes, go figure. I had a few spare moments of time, so I'm updating. This chapter is kind of depressing a little bit, but the next one is fun, promise. I do not own Yugioh, I'm putting a note on the bottom, enjoy! [YAMI, ****_YUGI, _****and** _FLASHBACK_]

Chapter 19

"Remember cherry blossom tree, lunch time, Rebecca's story." Yugi said as Yami was heading out the door, the next morning.

"Yes Yugi, _I know._" Yami said for what seemed like the umpteenth time to him. All last night and all this morning Yugi had been reminding him. He would probably continue to remind him throughout the day too.

"Uh, Yami?" Yugi asked as Yami had his hand on the door handle, getting ready to shut it.

"What?!" Yami snapped turning around to face Yugi.

"Homework? Backpack? Do you need those?" Yugi asked holding up the papers, placing them in Yami's bag, and holding the entire thing out to Yami.

"Oh, ah, yeah, thanks." Yami said sheepishly before grabbing the bag, and bolting out the door. The tickling sensation in his mind was definitely Yugi laughing at him.

Yami had worked hard all last night to get around Yugi's mental barriers; he had finally managed it but only barely. Now he could hear what Yugi was doing, just as well as Yugi could hear what he was doing.

**_You what? You took advantage of my sleeping state to get past my barriers? What makes you think it will be so easy now that I'm awake?_**

**Well, I suppose now is as good as any time to test that out. Right now Yugi you are…re-establishing your barriers.**

**_Hmph, you didn't honestly believe that I was going to keep them down did you?_**

**What's that supposed to mean?**

**_I felt you poking at my mind last night, and I wanted to sleep. So I let them all come crashing down, on a hunch that you would retreat, once there weren't any more road blocks in your way. Even _****I ****_was amazed at how right my theory was._**

**You're too smart for your own good, Yugi.**

**_I know, but I don't trust you yet Yami. I trust you about as far as my arm can reach, and we both know that's not far at all. I've learned that trust is meant to be earned, not freely given, and I learned that lesson the hard way. I'll stay out of your head today Yami, _****if ****_you try your best to get Rebecca's entire story. Don't let her cut out the words she said to me, you won't get my story if you let her do so. You need to hear what she said, and my reaction from her point of view. I won't spy; I'll just wait until you put your timeline together, and hear the reaction then. Have a nice day in school, and try not to chicken out in Gym. _**

Yami sent some mental laughter Yugi's way, at the last comment about Gym.

**_Ah, that tickles, stop that._**

This only made Yami laugh out loud; getting a few weird looks from the people around him, as well as making a few take a couple steps back or tug their children closer to their sides. Yami didn't really care though, it felt good to laugh.

Yami made his way onto the school grounds, and was slightly surprised when Jounouchi came running up to him.

"Hey, Yami, so you ready to hear my part now?" Jounouchi asked confidently.

"No, I need to get Rebecca's first. I'll find you when I need your part Jounouchi, don't worry, I have no intention in leaving anyone on my list out." Yami said, making to move past him.

"But it's pointless to talk to Rebecca, she's only going to lie to you. Didn't we already go over this yesterday? I was sure I mentioned it." Jounouchi looked slightly confused, like he had missed something important.

"No, you did, I just chose to try to get her story anyway. Jounouchi, I have no intention of judging anyone on my list of stories to get, until I have received _all_ of them. So it doesn't really matter whether or not I do or don't get a story, I have no intention of making any _assumptions_ until I've collected every part. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get to class." Yami explained to Jounouchi very carefully his intentions, so as to not create any confusion between them.

"So basically it doesn't matter to you if someone is lying or not, you're still going to listen anyway?" Jounouchi asked, anger creeping into his voice.

"Yes." Yami stated simply.

"But, why?" Jounouchi asked.

"Because I want to know the truth, the _real_ truth, and not just what everyone says _is _the truth." Yami said looking Jounouchi dead in the eye.

"Whatever, but you'll see in the end, some of us are telling the truth, while the others are only telling lies, to save their hides." Jounouchi said staring straight back, before running off in a different direction.

"I wonder if you are one of those people, Jounouchi. I wonder if you're only trying to save your hide." Yami whispered to the wind.

[Time skip]

Yami made his way across the lawn towards the cherry blossom tree that he and Yugi had sat under the first day Yami was at the school. As he approached, he saw that Rebecca was already there waiting for him. He reminded himself that he had to get everything, the full story; every last word had to be included.

Rebecca looked up when he sat down, the notebook he was using to record the stories in already open, and his pencil already poised, to start writing. He looked up at her, and waited patiently for her to start. Taking a deep breath, Rebecca started her story, in the exact same way Anzu did.

"Seventh grade, three years ago, I pick up the story here, where Anzu left off. I had been avoiding Yugi the entire day, because Ryou had kept dropping hints that I was the lucky friend that everyone was talking about. I should have known that I couldn't avoid Yugi forever; he could be very persistent when he wanted to be. He finally caught up to me at the end of the school day behind the school building. There Yugi confessed his feelings for me." Rebecca wasn't looking at Yami as she talked, she was looking off into the distance, almost like she was recalling a memory she would have rather forgotten.

_"Rebecca, I've been looking for you everywhere. I have something need to tell you. Rebecca, I like you, will you go out with me?" Yugi asked._

_"Yugi, I'm sorry, but I don't feel the same way for you, but I don't want to ruin our friendship either. Do you think there may be a way for us to still be friends, without it getting awkward?" Rebecca replied apologetically._

_"Of, course, to be quite truthful, I'd rather have some form of a relationship anyway. Even if it is just friends, I'd much rather have a friendly relationship with you, then not have one at all." Yugi replied with a small smile._

_"Thanks Yugi, I hoped I could trust you to understand." Rebecca replied back, with a small smile of her own, she reached forward and gave Yugi a hug. _

"I never knew that Anzu was lurking around the corner, if I had, I probably never would have hugged Yugi. She clearly got the wrong impression, especially from the rumors that were travelling around the next day. The day right after Yugi had confessed his feelings for me, and asked me out; I heard word that he and Malik were dating. At first this just confused me, as I thought that some of our other friends, Yugi included, were trying to hook Marik and Malik up together. Though as the day went on and the details got more specific, or more ridiculous depending on what point of view you were looking at them from, even I started to believe it. Deciding that what everyone was saying was the truth I went to find Yugi. You know I've never told anyone before what I said to him in my words of anger, but this time I think I'll take a gamble that you will stick to your words and not judge me, and tell you." Rebecca looked thoughtful, but she didn't look towards Yami until she got to that last part. Though, it was only for a second and then she was looking out into the distance again.

_"Yugi, there you are, I thought I might find you here in the Library. Listen we need to talk." Rebecca started to say, before Yugi politely raised his hand to stop her._

_"Rebecca, it's not true, I'm not dating Malik, but I promise you I intend to get to the bottom of these rumors." Yugi said, almost like he thought that that would be the end of it. He couldn't have been more wrong._

_"Oh, no it's alright Yugi, I already figured it out, someone dared you to ask me out didn't they? Or maybe you lost a bet with Malik, and the consequence was asking me out. The only thing I can't believe is that you would actually risk our friendship and go through with it." Rebecca said like it was no big deal. From the furrowed look of Yugi's eyebrows, he wasn't buying it._

_"Rebecca, you should __know_ _me better than that, you honestly think I would do something so mean to a friend?" Yugi's voice was slightly strained like he was trying to get an important point across, unfortunately for him, it fell upon deaf ears._

_"It's alright, really Yugi, you don't have to lie anymore. I get it you liked Malik too, and when I turned you down you then went ask him to go out with you, and he said yes." Rebecca waved away what he had just said, like it was no big deal._

_"Rebecca, you're not listening to me. Malik and I __aren't dating__. It's a vicious rumor that someone is spreading around, Malik and I are trying to get to the bottom of it as quickly as we can, but no one seems to know where it originated from. Have you heard anything Rebecca? Even the tiniest of details will help us get to the bottom of this." Yugi was trying to get her to understand, Rebecca could hear it in his voice, but she was starting to become angry, so it was really like Yugi was talking to a brick wall, instead of a human being._

_"I'm done with the lies you're trying to feed me Yugi. I thought you of all people would have the __decency__ to tell me the truth, I guess I was wrong. So you and Malik can go have fun screwing each other, you seem to be really good at it already Yugi. However, you know what they say, __practice makes perfect__."Rebecca said vindictively, and then rushed out of the Library nearly in tears._

"I heard him yell after me, but I didn't look back once, I just kept running until I was inside the nearest bathroom. There I broke down crying, certain that in my anger, I had ruined my friendship with Yugi. I heard the girls' bathroom door open, and I looked up in the mirror to see another girl had just walked in. I didn't recognize her, but she seemed to recognize me, because she gave me a very dirty look before heading into one of the stalls. I quickly wiped my tear stained face, splashed some cold water onto it, to get rid of my red puffy eyes, and quickly left the bathroom. I didn't really know what it was, but something in my gut told me that staying in that bathroom alone with that girl wasn't a good idea." Rebecca glanced at Yami a couple of times, only to look away again just as quickly.

"Yugi didn't approach me for another three days, but when he finally did, I was even more unwilling to listen then I had been before. I had happened to be on the middle height roof, when Yugi had finally located me, apparently only after asking several people where he _could_ find me. Everyone said the roof, only one said the middle roof. This is important to remember Sennen, the roof that Yugi and I were on was across from the lowest roof, and adjacent to the highest roof. This information will come in handy later, trust me."

_"Rebecca, I need to tell you something." Yugi said as soon as he spotted her by the edge of the roof._

_"What could you possibly want from me now, Yugi?" Rebecca replied with anger and wariness in her tone._

_"It was Anzu, Anzu Mazaki, she started that rumor when she saw us hugging after you turned me down. Apparently, she told Ryou, who told Jou, who told Kaiba, who told Honda, who congratulated Malik, who asked what the heck he was talking about. Kaiba just told me, and now I'm telling you." Yugi explained, to Rebecca who just stared at him like he had grown a second head._

_"You actually expect me to believe that pack of bullwhips?" Rebecca asked him._

_"Rebecca, I'm telling you the __truth__, what reason would I have to lie to you?" Yugi asked in a frustrated tone._

_"You're just saying these things to try to save our already ruined friendship; I heard you told the others that we are no longer friends, and that you wouldn't want to be friends with a girl like me anyway." Rebecca lied, while shouting at Yugi._

_"I never said __anything__ of the such Rebecca, it's probably just another rumor that's going around. Why can't you believe what __I'm__ telling you, instead of what you __hear__ others __telling__ you?" Yugi shouted right back._

_"It's not like you haven't lied to us before, like take your Mother for instance, I believe I now know the reason for why she really left you." Rebecca started to say._

"I knew I was hitting below the belt with my words, especially with the next phrase that came out of my mouth, but it was like once I started I just couldn't stop." Rebecca finally looked at Yami, and this time she didn't look away. Yami could see blank nothingness in her eyes, like she was completely detached from this world, and had transferred herself into a different one.

_"I mean, it's no wonder your Mother didn't want you, I wouldn't want a gay son near me either." As soon as he words came out of her mouth Rebecca knew she'd gone too far, but it was already too late, she couldn't take them back._

_Yugi froze, and just stared at her for a couple of seconds, before he finally spoke._

_"Is that really how you feel Rebecca? You don't want to be near me, because…..I'm gay?" Yugi asked looking at the ground as he was forming the question, and then up at Rebecca when he had finished it._

_"Yes, that is how I feel." She replied haughtily._

_"I see, then from now on I'll just leave you alone." Yugi said giving her a small sad smile, while his eyes seemed to say 'I forgive you'._

"Yugi stared at me for half second more before something behind me caught his attention. I saw his eyes look sharply to the right, his widen and his smile disappear. Next thing I knew, Yugi had grabbed my left upper arm and threw me to the cement ground of the roof top. At first I thought it was a little uncalled for, until I saw that in the same motion that I looked up I saw another girl form our school pushing Yugi over the roof. He had placed himself in the exact spot that I had been standing in seconds before. I could only watch, paralyzed as he went over the roof, and slipped out of sight. I didn't even think to look at the girl who had pushed him, or rather had tried to push me off, I could only watch in horror as Yugi took the fall that was meant to be my own. I saw out of the corner of my eye the girl rushing to get off the roof, and as soon as she moved away from the edge, I took her place at its side to see Yugi about to land on Ushio and Bandit Keith, our schools most notorious bullies. If those two hadn't been walking by when they were, Yugi would have been dead. As it was he ended up with a concussion, three broken ribs, a dislocated shoulder, a sprained ankle, and his left wrist completely shattered. The EMTs said he was lucky it wasn't worse. After Yugi had landed upon the two, I saw out of the corner of my eye a mop of blonde hair running away. I looked over to see Jou, and then see two flashes one above and one below I quickly looked in those directions as well to see Malik and Honda, looking just as horrified as I was. I was the first to move though, I fled the roof and made way quickly down the stairwell to get to Yugi. When I finally made it, on the ground floor and outside I saw, surprisingly, Ushio laying Yugi gently on the grass, while Bandit Keith was on the phone calling someone. I assumed an ambulance, as I rushed to Yugi's side. Jou was quick to follow, and he roughly pushed me aside when he got there, asking me if I hadn't done enough damage already. The paramedics arrived soon after that, and I was piled, against my will, into the back of one of the ambulances, because of the scrapes on my right cheek from when Yugi had pushed me out of the way. I was in the same Hospital as Yugi was, but they wanted me to stay overnight for observation just in case. I tried seeing Yugi the next day, but Jou stood between me and my goal, and he had no intention of moving." Rebecca had looked away again by this point, as if looking at another person had become too much, and she needed a distraction.

_"Jou, let me through, I want to see Yugi! You have no right to stop me; I've known Yugi since before you even met him! Plus I need to apologize, and thank him for saving my life." Rebecca yelled before quieting her voice a bit._

_"No way, Hawkins, I saw you up there right after Yugi fell, which means you're the only one who could have done it. You're the one who pushed Yugi off. Kaiba told me that Yugi was going to tell you who started the rumor, guess you couldn't handle the truth. So you decided that pushing Yugi off the roof was the best idea to get rid of your problems."Jou said confidently, with his arms crossed._

_"What? You think __I__ pushed Yugi off? When are you going to learn to stop spreading rumors around Jou? You should ask __first__, and tell others __second__, a lot of pain and frustrations could have been saved if you, Ryou, and Anzu had done that in the first place. Some friends we all are to Yugi, we treat him like dirt, and then hope he'll forgive us. I'm not so sure he will this time though, do you? After all, not one of us saw that he was in any kind of danger, until he fell. It was meant to be me, he pushed me out of the way at the last minute, even after what I had just said to him, he pushed me out of the way."Rebecca replied heatedly, before speaking in little above a whisper, making it difficult for Jou to even catch what she was saying._

_"Hey, is this the room where Yugi Mutou is?" a soft voice asked from behind Rebecca. _

_Both Jou, and Rebecca turned to look at the person to see it was a girl from their school. She was holding a small teddy bear that was holding a fake white rose, and had a small card attached to it._

_"Yeah, it is." Jou responded back._

_"Thank you." She replied before going in, she was in and out of the room in a few quick seconds before leaving the Hospital. _

"I couldn't help but feel like I had seen her somewhere before. Then it clicked she was the girl whom had given me the dirty look in the bathroom. I decided in that moment that Jou wasn't worth my time anymore and followed after the girl instead, but by the time I had made it out of the Hospital, she had completely vanished. Two weeks, that's how long Yugi was in the Hospital. In those simple two weeks, our entire friendship circle, just crumbled into dust. I don't know what happened, but sometime in between the time that I talked to Jou and Yugi got released from the Hospital, the two had a huge fight. When Yugi returned to school, he wanted nothing to do with any of us, least of all Anzu and Jou, but I noticed that he was also avoiding that girl that I had come across in the bathroom. Like she had a highly contagious disease, and he didn't want to catch it. To this day I still wonder who she is, and if she had anything to do with our circle of friendship crumbling like a stone does when it's hit with a heavier object." Rebecca turned her head in Yami's direction, but that was the only indication he got that Rebecca was speaking to him, and not the wind.

Rebecca suddenly stood up, and started walking across the grounds. Yami jumped up and quickly followed her.

"Wait, so is that it?" Yami asked, as soon as he was in her hearing range.

"Oh, sorry, The End." She said, then opened the door and hastened inside. It was only then that Yami realized he had just missed two periods, and was half way through his fifth already.

"Shoot! Yugi's going to kill me, he's depending on me to get all of the assignments he's missing, and he wanted me to turn in the rough draft for his research paper two periods ago, I'm _so_ dead." With those words, Yami too rushed inside. Neither Rebecca nor Yami saw the figure of a girl leap lightly from the tree that they had been just sitting under.

"So he's collecting them too huh? Well, I doubt he's going to get Yugi's, but if there's the chance that he will, I'll just make sure to send Yugi a _special_ present, to make sure he keeps quiet." The girl said before making her way towards the building as well, and slipping in the doors, to hurry off to her own class, which she was also late to.

**Heh, you guys do know that when I said that my whole 100 thing was a bust, I wasn't going by that anymore, right? [looks at readers in a very concerned way] That drop there, it's um, well it um, to be quite truthful it scared me. I haven't seen a drop like that since chapter two. It usually takes you guys a while to drop that far down, not a day. I can't type that fast, and my schedule is going to be packed over the next couple of weeks with all the big things I've got coming up, so updating isn't going to be normal for awhile. I'll try to update as much as I can, but it won't be two to three times a week like you're used to. Just a heads up for those of you who ****_are_**** actually reading this. Anyway, thank you to all of those who reviewed, Guest and User a like. Also, thanks to those who are/have following/favorited this story. Please review, because all of them are welcomed and appreciated. Midnight ;p**


	20. Pain medication

**I'M SO HAPPY! Daddy is in town, and my lil big sis and I are having dinner with him tomorrow! WHOOOO! Ahem, right, this chapter is long and long over due. I originally intended to put it up yesterday, but it was Mother's day, so yeah, that wasn't going to happen. Gotta spend the day with Mother on her day after all. Anyway, enough rant, I do not own Yugioh, enjoy! [YAMI, ****_YUGI, _****and,** _PHONE_ _SPEAK_]

Chapter 20

Yami was on his way to the Headmaster's office after focusing a little too intently in Gym today. Was it his fault that the object he hit the softball into just happened to be Otogi's head? He didn't think so, and after all Hiwatari Sensei did tell him to focus. How was he supposed to know that focusing on Otogi's laughing form of making fun of his bat's swing would send the ball flying in his direction? Really, what were the odds of that actually happening? Well apparently for Yami, pretty accurate considering there was an egg sized lump blooming on his forehead when Hiwatari sent him on his way, looking like he was trying not to laugh in the same manner his class was. On top of that, he also had a triple detention for skipping two classes and being late for a third, those would last him through next Wednesday. Who knew what he was going to tell Yugi when he got home, _if _he got home.

Yami was almost to the office when he heard someone call his name.

"Yo Sennen!"

Turning his head he saw Marik walking up to him, holding a slip of paper in his hand.

"Here, for this weekend, just in case you need some help. Malik's, Kaiba's, and my own number are there. Only because those two were the only ones who wrote down their numbers _before _asking what it was for. Told them and ran." Marik said choking on laughter, while handing the piece of paper with three series of numbers on it to Yami.

"So what are they for?" Yami asked.

"I'm sure you'll figure it out when Yugi gets bored, and hide-and-go-seek, bad idea." Marik said turning to leave before stopping and looking back at Yami with a look that screamed disaster, when talking about something called hide-and-go-seek, whatever that was.

Marik sauntered off, leaving Yami baffled and confused. Shaking his head, Yami pocketed the paper, and then proceeded to make his way into the office. He was handed a phone as soon as he entered with a disapproving look, from some man. Yami looked at the phone, then at the man, back at the phone, and again at the man only this time with a face like 'what am I supposed to do with this?'

"You parents call them." the man said in an annoyed tone.

"Foreign exchange student." Yami replied with a smirk, attempting to hand the phone back to him.

"Then call your host family." He said pushing the phone back.

"Don't know the number." Yami was thinking that this was starting to look like a tug of phone war game.

The man grabbed the phone out of Yami's hand, slammed it down on the receiver, and jerked his thumb towards an office behind him. Yami was smart enough to just go, without any smart comments, at the man this time. The office he was pointing to said that he was Akiha Sensei, the Headmaster.

Akiha Sensei slammed the door behind him, and sat down in the large chair behind the desk. He stared at Yami for a few seconds and then slammed his hands down on the table and in the same motion standing up.

"So, you think that's it acceptable to hit other students just because you're foreign huh? Well, let me tell you that in this school-" Akiha started to wave his pointer finger in Yami's face before being abruptly cut off, by another voice.

"I handle the disciplinary measures, and you handle whatever task I deem you able to handle. Have you figured out what caused that pipe to burst in the bathroom yet Umeda?" Yami turned to see another man walking into the room, and carrying a folder with Yami's name on it, with him as well.

"Yes, Akiha, someone thought it would be amusing apparently, to sticks bits of cork down the drain." Umeda Sensei said rising out of the chair, and moving so Akiha Sensei could sit down.

"Great, well another just burst so, go see to it." Akiha Sensei said sitting down, and waving Umeda Sensei out of the room.

Umeda Sensei gave Akiha Sensei a stiff bow, and then exited the room. Yami turned back to look at the real Akiha Sensei, to see him staring straight back.

"Now, Mr. Sennen, you're staying with Mr. Mutou? However, it appears that Senior Mr. Mutou left without warning again on another one of his adventures with Senior Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Mutou is absent because of a car wreck on Monday afternoon, on your way home from the store. He's expected back however on Tuesday, with all of his assignments done and complete. We have already informed Mr. Mutou that you are being faced with an entire week's worth of detention for missing two and a half classes, and your batting skills in Gym. However considering Mr. Otogi's actions towards you yesterday, Mr. Mutou was able to knock off a day, Friday, of next week. I suggest you count your blessings Mr. Sennen, you have exactly two left to spare, use them wisely. Well, that is all, and seeing as your last period is over, off with you. Oh, and sorry about Umeda, he likes to play the big shot sometimes, off you go." Akiha Sensei said all of this in a very businesslike format leaving Yami no room to argue. Not that he wanted to, but still, there wasn't any room to do so if he _had_ wanted to.

Yami left quickly after a quick thank you and rushed home, with Yugi's voice echoing in his head before he even left the school grounds.

**_You. Home. Now._**

The anger in Yugi's voice was enough to set Yami running at an even faster pace. What had taken him 20 minutes walking this morning, only took him five minutes running. When Yami came through the door of the Game Shop, he was relieved to _not _see Yugi waiting for him. He didn't get so lucky upstairs in the living room though; Yugi was sitting on the couch facing the stairway, with a scowl on his face. Yugi scowled at Yami for a few seconds more before closing his eyes and turning his head away from Yami.

"You got lucky Yami. Umeda Sensei was the one who called me, not Akiha Sensei. They're both pretty easy going, but of the two I prefer Umeda Sensei, he's more lenient on discipline then Akiha Sensei. I was able to convince him that you were just trying to get even for yesterdays Gym class, and had probably just put a little too much force behind your swing. He took a day off for it, if it had been Akiha Sensei, he would have added two more. You got lucky. Did you at least try to track down the teachers for the assignments?" Yugi said, in an 'I'm really tired, and I'm starting to feel more like your parent then your friend' voice.

"Nope, because you've received an extension on all of your assignments, which are due next Tuesday. You're also expected back in school that day too." Yami said in a brisk voice, making Yugi open his eyes to look at him.

"Yes, Akiha Sensei said so too, when I got off the phone with him, right before he went in to talk to you." Yugi said, his eyes drooping a little.

Yami's eyes narrowed at Yugi, as he set down his backpack on the floor. He walked over to the couch, and knelt down next to it. He placed a hand on Yugi's forehead to find it slightly warmer than it was supposed to be. Growling slightly, Yami got up and went to find Yugi's pain killers. When Yami finally found them in a locked drawer in Yugi's desk he was surprised to find that they had never been opened. Rushing to the kitchen Yami grabbed a water bottle out of the fridge, and back downstairs to make Yugi take the medicine. However, once seeing Yugi sleeping on the couch, there was no way Yami was going to disturb him, he looked way too peaceful.

Quietly, placing the pill bottle and water bottle on the table in front of the couch, Yami made his way back upstairs to Yugi's room to grab the blanket off of his bed. After gently tucking Yugi in on the couch Yami grabbed his backpack and went upstairs to do his homework. He never saw Yugi's eyes open slightly, or the smile on his face, before his eyes closed again as he snuggled down into the blanket, and fell into a deeper sleep then the one he was in before. The last thing Yugi thought before he went to sleep was that Yami got plenty of rest tonight too, he would need all of his strength tomorrow. Tomorrow, tomorrow would be fun, well, at least for Yugi it would be.

Yami crept down the stairs to check on Yugi, before he went to bed himself. Still finding him sleeping on the couch, he wrote a note telling Yugi to take his pain medicine when he got up, and placed it under the water bottle. Yami had no idea that this was something he going to _really _regret doing in the morning.

"PANCAKES, PANCAKES, CHOCOLATE CHIP PANCAKES!" Yugi shouted jumping up and down on the bed that Yami _had_ been sleeping in a second ago.

Waking up feeling completely disoriented, Yami was greeted with a Yugi jumping up and down on his bed shouting about how he wanted chocolate chip pancakes with a smiling clown face. Before Yami had barely just comprehended what Yugi was shouting about was in fact actually food, said boy decided to drop like a dead weight on top of his waist, and put his face really close to Yami's.

"I want chocolate chip pancakes with a smiling clown face Yami! I want them, I want them, I want them!" Yugi stated this fact in a loud voice while pounding Yami's chest with open palmed hands. He reminded Yami more of a five year old, then a sixteen year old boy at the moment.

"Yugi?" Yami asked in disbelief, was this really the boy that had scolded him last night?

"Yami? Are you going to make me my breakfast sometime today?" Yugi mimicked, before he demanded his breakfast in an impatient tone.

"I don't know how to cook!" Yami exclaimed.

"Not my problem! Now I want chocolate chip pancakes with a smiling clown face." Yugi retorted right back, pounding his fist into his hand, instead of Yami's chest this time.

"Fine, but you have to get off of me so I can get up." Yami conceded and motioned for Yugi to move.

"I don't wanna." Yugi whined.

"Then how am I supposed to make you chocolate chip pancakes with a smiling clown face, if you don't get off of me?" Yami questioned.

"Carry me!" Yugi shouted reaching out his arms.

"WHAT?!" Yami shouted, who was this kid and what had he done with _his _Yugi?

"Carry me, carry me, carry me, carry me!" Yugi said while bouncing up and down on Yami.

"Fine, fine, I'll carry you!" Yami shouted over Yugi's cries of carry me.

Yami swiftly picked the boy up and swung his legs over the bed in the same motion. Heaving himself off the bed with the extra weight in his lap was easier said than actually done. Yami still managed to do it, though he did use some Shadow Magic to give him a slight push upwards. As soon as Yami was standing up, Yugi cuddled into his bare chest, not seeming to mind at all that he was in _Yami's _arms. Well whatever seemed to be wrong with Yugi, he was sure he could live with it. If only he knew what the rest of the day had in store for him.

Yami walked to the kitchen and deposited the young boy in a chair. He then started looking for some type of recipe to help him make these supposed chocolate chip pancakes with a smiling clown face. After locating a piece of paper with precise directions, and pictures of the food Yugi was after Yami got to work. Who knew that it had to be perfect in _Yugi's _eyes? After five failed attempts Yugi decided that the pancakes Yami had made were perfect. It then took him seven attempts after that to get the clown face just right, until it was to _Yugi's_ satisfaction.

Yami was exhausted as he collapsed in a chair covered in flour, pancake mix, a few bits of chocolate, whip cream, and had a couple of strawberries stuck in his hair. The strawberries and whip cream was after his second attempt to try to get Yugi to just eat the thing without whining about how the smiley looked crooked. This had resulted in the plate with said food on it being thrown at him. Yami hadn't been quick enough to duck most of the mess.

Yami laid his head down on the table until he felt a slight tap on his hand. Glancing up from his arms he was presented with a strawberry on a fork, in front of his face. When Yami tried to grab the strawberry off with his fingers though, the fork was pulled away, and placed in front of his face again. Taking the hint, Yami grabbed the strawberry off with his teeth, and chewed the sweet fruit, earning a slight giggle from Yugi. Yami looked up at the boy, placing a hand under his chin in the process.

Yugi had devoured his pancakes; clown included, and was looking at him in an expectant way. Groaning slightly, Yami knew he was going to regret his next question but went ahead and asked it anyway.

"What do you want to do next Yugi?" Yami asked a fake smile plastered on his face.

"Go to the park!" Yugi responded immediately.

"Right, well I've got to take a shower and get dressed, and then we'll go, okay?" Yami asked standing up.

"No! Right now, I wanna go right now!" Yugi said stomping a foot on the ground.

"No, we're going after I take a shower and get dressed." Yami argued.

"NO, NOW!" Yugi screamed back.

"I'm not going out in public like this Yugi!" Yami shouted right back.

Shouting turned out to be a bad idea, as Yugi's eyes almost instantly filled up with tears. Then the boy ran down the hallway and into his room, slamming the door behind him. Yami huffed, as he went past Yugi's room to his own where he began searching through his pants pockets for that piece of paper with the numbers on it. Finally finding the object he was searching for, Yami picked up the phone and dialed the first number on it. Seeing as the piece of paper didn't have any names by the numbers, he had no idea as to whom he was calling. When Kaiba's voice growled out a 'what' on the other end, Yami wasted no time as to explaining his situation.

"Kaiba, Yugi is acting funny. He woke me up this morning by jumping on my bed and demanding that I make him chocolate chip pancakes with a smiling clown face. Now he doesn't seem to understand that I need to take a shower and get dressed, in order for us to go to the park. What's going on?" Yami quickly explained in a completely lost tone.

There was silence on the other end of the line for a moment; before Kaiba's quick response came.

_"Not my problem, have fun." _Was the only answer Yami got before there was a click and the sound of a dial tone. Yami stared at the phone for a minute in disbelief, before hanging up and dialing the next number on his list.

Marik didn't pick up his phone, but his voice message for Yami spoke volumes.

_"Hey, Sennen, thanks for calling, but I'm unable to help with you with Yugi today on account that I have to work, have a pleasant day. Bye." _Marik's smooth voice said before some random voice asked about leaving a message. Yami just hung up, and dialed the last number instead. Thank goodness, Malik picked up, Yami just hoped he could help as well.

_"Hello?"_

"Malik, I need help with Yugi, he's acting strange. He demanded chocolate chip pancakes with a smiling clown face for breakfast this morning. Now he doesn't seem to get that I have to take a shower and get dressed, before we can go to the park. I shouted at him, now he's crying, what do I do?! No one else will help me." Yami was about ready to break down himself if Malik didn't give him some advice.

_"First, calm down. Second, did you ask Yugi how old he is yet?" Malik said in a calm, it's no big deal, voice._

"He's sixteen." Yami responded promptly.

_"Did Yugi tell you that? Or was that how old he was yesterday?" Malik's response was._

"Uh, no, he didn't tell me that, and yes that is how old he was acting yesterday." Yami said, already dreading where this conversation was going. He wasn't sure he _wanted_ to know how old Yugi was.

_"Right, first things first, we need to get Yugi's age. So go do that now, go ask Yugi how old he is."Malik said, and Yami could almost see him waving him off in whatever direction Yugi was in._

Sighing Yami put the phone down next to the receiver and went to ask Yugi how old he thought he was. Yami had a sinking feeling that it wasn't going to be a very high number; most likely it was going to be a single digit number. Walking up to Yugi's door he knocked lightly on it, and cringed a tiny bit when he heard sniffles on the other side.

"Yugi, how old are you? I've seem to have forgotten." Yami said bluntly through the door.

"Five." Yugi called back, with a slight waver in his voice.

"Thank you, I'm sorry I yelled." Yami said before making his way back to his own room.

"Can we go to the park now?" Yugi's voice asked from behind him, making Yami turn in surprise. He hadn't even heard the door open.

"Soon, we can go soon." Yami said back in response, and then turned back around and went into his room and shut the door.

"Five, Yugi says he's five years old." Yami told Malik once he had picked the phone back up.

_"Five?! Uh, find a way to keep him entertained until I get there. Do not take him to the park, do not play hide-and-go-seek with him, and especially do not let him out of the house. We're in for a day full of exercise. See you in a few, bye." Malik said in a rush before the line was disconnected._

This left Yami to blink in confusion, had they dealt with a five year old Yugi in the past? And why did Yugi think he was five to begin with? Then he remembered Yugi's medicine, and how Malik had said that Yugi on pain killers was hilarious. Well if this was the work of those pills, he certainly wasn't finding it very funny.

Yami got up off the bed, and made his way out of his room and down to the hallway to the bathroom. He took a ten minute shower and was dressed two minutes after that in the leather outfit Yugi had given him. He really wasn't up to wearing his uniform when he didn't have to.

Yami was just coming out of his room, when he heard a door shut downstairs, and thought it was Malik coming in. well he did until he saw Yugi's room empty of him, and a note on his desk saying that he was going to the park. Yami didn't bother to run after Yugi, instead he transported himself into the puzzle, and then out again a few alleyways ahead of the boy. When Yugi ran past the alley Yami was lurking in, he swiftly grabbed the boy, and threw him over his shoulder and proceeded to carry him back home.

It amazed Yami how much weaker Yugi seemed to be as a five year old then he was as a sixteen year old. The fists pounding on his back hurt a lot less then when Yugi had punched him the other day. When Yami reached the Game Shop he was greeted with not only Malik but a disgruntled Kaiba and Marik as well, it seemed that Malik had dragged them along.

"What happened, did he get loose?" Kaiba asked as soon as Yami was within hearing distance.

"Yes, he ran out the back door, hoping to make a getaway to the park." Yami responded placing Yugi down on his feet, in front of the other three males. It suddenly occurred to Yami how shorter Yugi seemed to be to everyone else. They were all able to easily look down on him, something he had never quite noticed before now.

"Well, now that we're all here, let's go!" Malik said, starting to walk down the sidewalk.

"What?" Yami asked confused, didn't Malik just tell him to _not_ let Yugi go to the park over the phone?

"We've learned from experience that you have to have at least two or more people go to the park with Yugi when he's a one digit number. Otherwise he becomes quite the handful, isn't that right Yugi?" Marik said, looking down on the boy.

"I'm not a handful Marik, I'm energetic! That's what Grandpa says, I'm energetic." Yugi explained to Marik like he was the one acting five and not him, before running after Malik.

It seemed Yugi was really eager to go to the park, so Yami hurried after the two, leaving Kaiba and Marik to lag behind. When they reached the crosswalk that was directly across from the park, Yugi looked at Yami expectantly reaching out his hand. Yami just shrugged and took it, not realizing Yugi was only going to hold his hand for the duration of crossing the street. As soon as they touched the sidewalk on the other side, Yami wished he had held Yugi's hand tighter, as the boy took off like a bullet into the open space of the park.

"Uh, how fast can Yugi run again?" Yami heard Marik ask Kaiba behind him.

"No idea, he hasn't been clocked for almost two years." Kaiba responded.

"Okay, what was he last clocked at, then?" Marik asked instead.

"Two minutes and 22 seconds for the mile." Kaiba said before he rushed after Yugi's fading form. Yami came up second, with Marik and Malik tying for third.

By the time the four boys reached Yugi, they found him scaling a thick trunked tree, and was already reaching one of the branches that was two feet above even Kaiba's head, and he was the tallest out of all of them. All three boys looked to Yami, and it was almost like they were expecting him to do something. What was he suppose to do? He had never dealt with a five year old Yugi before, the youngest he had ever dealt with Yugi was when he was nine, and that was like seven years ago. Yugi hadn't even been aware of his presence back then, so why were they all looking to him. What was he supposed to do?

"Yami, you represent the parent in Yugi's life currently because you were the one he woke up demanding pancakes from this morning. You need to put your foot down now and show him who's boss or it's going to be a long day for all of us." Malik explained when it seemed that Yami just wasn't getting it. Sucking in a deep breath Yami prepared himself to shout up to Yugi, who was getting pretty high up in the tree.

"Yugi get down here right now!" Yami demanded of the boy up in the tree.

"Make me!" was Yugi's cheeky response.

"Don't you make me come up there!" Yami tried to put some forceful warning into his tone, but he must have failed.

"I'd like to see you try to get up to this height!" Yugi replied back down mockingly, moving to the other side of the trunk.

"That's it, I'm coming up!" Yami said and he too began to scale the tree's trunk.

What Yami failed to notice was that, as he was going up on the one side, Yugi was coming down on the other. Marik however just yawned in a bored way and moved around the trunk just in time to grab Yugi before he could make his grand exit. Coming back around the tree, he looked up to see Yami just reaching the second branch. Kaiba looked down at Yugi laughing silently at Yami's efforts.

"We're in for a long day." Kaiba stated, looking back up at Yami.

"Yep. Yami, he's down here, so you should probably come back down now!" Malik responded, before shouting up to the figure in the tree.

Yami looked down to indeed find Yugi on the ground, and could only come to the conclusion that Yugi had been going down, as he had been going up. To say Yami was mad would be an understatement, he was angry. He was tired of looking like a fool whenever Yugi was involved and he decided that it had to end, _now_.

Jumping from branch to branch, Yami landed on the ground in less than a minute. Walking over to Marik, he grabbed Yugi by the hand and yanked him out of the taller males clutches. He walked a good distance away from the others, about five feet, with Yugi in tow. There he stopped and faced Yugi, grabbing the boys chin in one hand he forced him to look up at him.

"Yugi, we need discuss rules in this game we're playing. I'm leader, and what leader says goes, understood?" Yami asked looking the boy dead in the eye.

Yugi nodded eagerly, thinking they were actually playing a game.

"Okay, another rule of this game is that you are the follower, and the follower follows the leader. So what are you going to do Yugi?" Yami asked him.

"Follow Yami!" Yugi responded.

"Very good Yugi, so if the leader starts to go home, what does the follower do?" Yami asked just to make sure Yugi actually understood.

"The follower follows the leader!" Yugi exclaimed clapping his hands.

"All right, let's test it out!" Yami said letting go of Yugi's chin and turning to walk swiftly back to the rest of the rest of the group. Yugi followed right behind him, occasionally stepping on his heels in the process. Oh well, at least Yugi was following him.

"You know what, I don't Yugi has taken Sennen to the mall yet. We should go there, today, right now." Malik said as Yami started to walk back over to them wincing whenever Yugi stepped on his heels.

"Sounds like a good idea to me." Kaiba said back.

"I'm in; because there's no way that we're going to let Yami get the easy way out." Marik said with a sinister smile.

"Okay this has been fun, but Yugi and I are going home now." Yami said, unaware of the plan they had just made without his knowledge.

"Hey Yugi, want to go to the mall?" Malik asked looking behind Yami slightly.

"Oh, can we, can we, can we please go?" Yugi asked popping out from behind Yami, and grabbing onto his sleeve, looking up at him with a pleading face.

Yami looked down at Yugi's half pleading half excited face, and then back up at the other three. They were all wearing casual faces, almost _too _casual, but he had to make sure first.

"Is this mall safe for Yugi's current state?" Yami asked cautiously.

"It has four walls, security cameras, security officers, how much safer do you want?" Marik asked, like Yami was being stupid.

"Well, I guess that sounds okay. Sure we can go." Yami said slowly, before looking down at Yugi with a smile on his face. Yugi beamed back up at him, and grabbed onto his hand tightly, giving it a slight squeeze.

**This seemed like a great spot to cut off the chapter, so I did! Right, thank you to all of those who are/have following/favorited this story. Also thank you to everyone who reviewed Guest and User alike, though ****_all _****opinions are valued. Also one more thing, NO SWEARING OR USE OF VULGAR LANGUAGE in your reviews, keep it CLEAN. Please review, Midnight. ;p **


	21. Coming back down

**Heh, I promise it's worth the wait. Right because you're most likely anxious to just start reading, I'll make this short and sweet. I do not own Yugioh, Hot Topic, McDonald's, The Panda Express, or the Movies. Enjoy!**

Chapter 21

Poor Yami, he had no idea that when Marik had said four walls, he really meant four long walls, with lots of more walls in between. He lost sight of Yugi the minute they walked through the door, and was now searching frantically for the boy. Had Yami been thinking clearly he would have just transferred himself to the puzzle like last time and carried Yugi back to everyone. Then again, Yami would of had to been thinking clearly for that, as it was, Yami was a frantic mess.

The others weren't being very helpful as they had disappeared too, where Yami hadn't a clue. He just hoped they were looking for Yugi, and not doing something else less productive. Though a sinking feeling in his gut told them that's exactly what they _were_ doing, they were everywhere _but _looking for Yugi.

After searching for about two hours, Yami finally found Yugi, in the last place he wanted to. Yugi was splashing younger kids with parents looking on in disapproval, in the mall's fountain. What made Yami even more irritated was that Kaiba, Marik, and Malik were sitting in benches nearby eating popcorn, watching Yugi like it was a show. What made it even worse though, was that every time Yugi looked like he was about to get out, the other three encouraged him to go splash some poor kid that had just gotten in. Yami lost it, and yelled, well screamed would probably be the better word, at Yugi.

"YUGI HIKARI MUTOU, GET OVER HERE RIGHT NOW!" Yami screamed at the top of his lungs.

If Yugi hadn't been high on his pain killers he probably would have been so proud. As it was though, he was on pain killers, so instead of listening he instead dared Yami to come in after him. Something Yami was actually foolish enough to do.

Vaulting over the edge of the small wading pool, Yami made a grab for Yugi, only to come up with empty air, and landing face first in the water. Getting up, Yami sloshed through the water and attempted to get some kind of a hold on Yugi. His attempts were fruitless, as the other children seemed to think of him as an easier target than Yugi was. Yami found himself drenched in water in a matter of mere seconds, and trying to see a moving target while having water splashed in your face isn't a good combo.

Eventually Malik took pity on him and offered to help. Yami accepted the help with tired gratitude, making a motion to probably corner Yugi. All this ended up doing was Yami and Malik to run into one another as Yugi ducked their oncoming trap, and crawled through the water to get away.

Yugi didn't get very far though as Yami, thinking quickly, grabbed his ankle that was just barely within his reach, and dragged him back. Getting up Yami tossed the boy over his shoulder and carried him out of the water, with Malik laughing behind him. All three of them were soaked, and as Yami had leather on, well, his clothes were bound to become even more skintight than they already were.

Walking over to the bench where the other two were sitting, Yami unceremoniously dropped Yugi on the both of them. Now all five of them were wet, and Kaiba was less than happy about it. Marik, however just laughed as Yami and Malik sat down, with Malik being in between him and Marik.

"I guess we're going to have to shopping after all, huh Kaiba?" Marik asked, still laughing.

"Shut up, and get off Yugi!" Kaiba said, rolling said boy onto the ground.

Yugi got up slowly, and sat on his knees. He looked up at them, with a slight grin, making Yami curious, as to what he was planning. His curiosity was cured very quickly, when Yugi jumped into Kaiba's lap, giving the other male a hug.

"I agree; we should go shopping because if those leather clothes of Yami's have a chance to dry, he might get mugged by that group of girls eyeing him up over there." Yugi said bluntly, like he had just aged in a matter of seconds, while pointing over to a group of girls, who were indeed eyeing Yami up.

As soon as the girls noticed that they had the males attentions, they walked, well sauntered, over to shamelessly flirt with them. They didn't even seem to notice that Marik and Malik were obviously a couple, Kaiba and Yami had no interest in them, and Yugi, was about to stake a claim on Yami.

Just before the girls reached them, Yugi slid off of Kaiba's lap, and walked over to Yami and plopped down in his. Then Yugi grabbed Yami's neck belt, and crashed his lips down onto the other males. Yami froze for a second in pure shock before kissing Yugi back. Licking Yugi's bottom lip to ask for entrance, he received it, but this time Yami decided to tread the area cautiously incase Yugi bit his tongue again.

Growing impatient with Yami's tentative nature, Yugi curled his tongue around Yami's and practically dragged the wet muscle into his mouth. Yami immediately started a war with Yugi's tongue, and won pretty quickly too. Though, he wasn't sure if it was because Yugi had let him, or if he had actually won the battle on his own. However, he made sure to claim his prize by mapping out Yugi's mouth, and he found that if he ran his tongue at a certain angle along the roof of Yugi's mouth, he got him to moan. It wasn't a quite moan either, it was very loud, and Yami loved the sound of it.

When the two finally broke apart, due to the need for oxygen, both were panting, and Yami had somehow wound up with his hands up the back of Yugi's shirt. When that had happened he hadn't a clue, nor did he care, Yugi's skin felt amazing, like satin, warm satin.

Yugi found that he wasn't just sitting in Yami's lap anymore, he was straddling Yami. Yami didn't seem to mind though, so Yugi didn't move his position. Looking over at the others, he couldn't help the smile that crossed their slightly shocked faces. Malik was the first to recover.

"And when did you become a teenager exactly?" he asked, feeling as if he was about to become really annoyed.

"When this guy here screamed out my name for the entire mall to hear." Yugi replied a mischievous look in his eye, while poking Yami in the chest. The girls had long since left, when they started to hear Yugi moan, that was.

Kaiba muttered something incoherently under his breath before getting up and yanking Yugi off of Yami. Then he proceeded to yank Yami up off the bench, as well as Marik, and then turned and started to walk away. Kaiba had taken about three steps before he realized that neither had followed him. Looking back he saw that both had retaken their seats, and were just staring at him.

"Do you two want dry clothes or not?" Kaiba asked through gritted teeth.

Yami and Marik looked at each other before both got up.

"Only if you're paying rich boy." Marik said walking towards him.

"I'm with Crayzee, besides I don't have any money." Yami chimed in.

"Whatever, let's go. Ishtar see that you don't lose him, and get yourselves some change of clothes too." Kaiba said looking past them.

"Are you paying Seto?" Yugi asked, making Yami stumble into a stop. He had only ever heard of Yugi referring to him as Kaiba, never Seto. Was Seto his first name? If so, why didn't anyone ever use it?

"Yes, and you know I prefer to be called by my surname Kaiba, Mutou." Kaiba replied his voice slightly strained.

"All right….Seto." Yugi replied back before running off laughing.

"I miss that Yugi." Marik said watching him run off.

"Don't we all? Yugi, wait up!" Malik responded back to him before running after Yugi.

"Miss?" Yami asked.

"Later." Kaiba responded before turning around and heading off.

Malik ran to catch up with Yugi, and caught sight of him just before he turned into one of his old favorite stores. Malik grinned slightly, before heading into Hot Topic as well. Malik scanned the area before he found Yugi back by the jewelry section. This was where Yugi always got his neck belts in the past, it was a shame he no longer wore them.

"Kaiba said clothes not accessories, Yugi." Malik said with a slight smirk.

"Accessories _are _part of clothing Malik, because they complete the outfit." Yugi said with his own smirk looking at Malik out of the corner of his eyes.

"Whatever, so how much of Kaiba's money should we spend this time?" Malik asked with a knowing smile.

"How about until we drop from exhaustion, and when did you and Marik get so close?" Yugi replied back, fingering a neck belt that said 'woof' on it.

"That sounds good to me, and about two months ago." Malik responded, turning a studded bracelet over in his hands.

"Really, how did I miss that?" Yugi asked in a surprised voice, turning his head to face Malik.

"You were really busy with the Shop, school work, and other things." Malik said in an offhanded voice.

"Oh, so you don't know how to use a phone?" Yugi asked, in a disbelieving tone.

"No, I do, it's just...never mind." Malik started to say, then shook his head to dismiss it.

"It's just what?" Yugi asked, clearly _not _dismissing it.

"Nothing, it's nothing, let's just have fun today okay?" Malik said hoping Yugi would drop it.

"Okay, I'll drop it, but you do know you can tell me anything, right Malik?" Yugi asked trying to catch his eye.

"Yeah, I do Yugi, I know that." Malik said looking at him.

"Okay, so which one do you think Yami would like; this one that says My Darkness or this one that says Owned Property?" Yugi asked holding the two up for Malik to see.

Malik couldn't help but laugh, the one that said My Darkness, was a dark crimson with the words My Darkness sown into it in black. While the one saying Owned Property, was a dark blue color, with the words Owned Property sown into it in dark brown.

"Oh, I think he would like both, as well as this one." Malik said handing Yugi another neck belt.

Yugi looked at it, to discover it was a dark forest green color with the words Whipped sown into it in a fuchsia color. Yugi looked back up at Malik with a smile on his face that he'd seen on more than one occasion.

"Perfect." Was all Yugi said before heading to the checkout.

Malik followed behind him, but paused when he saw a shirt that would be perfect for Yugi to wear. It was a tight-fitted, no sleeves, gray shirt, but it was the words that caught Malik's attention. Printed in black on the shirt were the words 'I don't date Psychos'; Malik couldn't help but feel that the shirt was made for Yugi. Grabbing it off the rack Malik rushed to get to the checkout, as Yugi was already done and was waiting for him by the front doors. Paying for the item Malik and Yugi exited the store.

Yugi and Malik wandered around the mall for a bit before they came across a high end gothic store, it must have been new for neither of them had ever seen it before. This surprised them, because they thought they knew _every_ gothic store that was either in the mall or the city Domino.

"Black Dreams and Wicked Nightmares, well Kaiba's paying, you want to check it out?" Yugi asked after reading the name of the store.

"Well Kaiba's paying, so why not?" Malik responded back.

The two grinned at one another before heading into the store. As soon as they entered they couldn't help but think that the owner had chosen the perfect name for it. The store held every gothic's dream of attire. There were studded outfits, leather outfits, chains, belts, chokers, lace, and rows upon rows of black, red, and dark blue outfits. The two boys felt as if they had died and gone to heaven, before rushing off in different directions, to investigate their preferences in what they liked to wear.

By the time the two left the store, they were heavily weighted down with bags of all the items they had purchased. The two couldn't carry any more bags even if they had _wanted _to, so they decided to retire to the food court, as both were growing hungry.

Dropping their bags off at a table, Malik sat down and watched them as Yugi went to go get food from The Panda Express, and when he got back with his food of orange chicken, beef and broccoli and rice, Malik got up to get his own food. He got a double stacker cheeseburger with fries and a shake, from McDonalds. Sitting down the boys ate in silence.

That was one of the things he missed about Yugi's company, he never felt the need to talk all the time, he was much more content with listening. Though even Malik was smart enough to not bring up that the real reason why Yugi didn't know that he and Marik were together was because they didn't talk anymore. So Yugi being on the pain medication did come with at least one nice side affect, he got his old friend back. The one before the roof incident even existed, let alone happened.

"I wonder how the others are doing." Yugi said out of nowhere.

"Do want to go look for them, and find out?" Malik asked.

"You're kidding right? With all of these bags, I think we're better off just letting them find us." Yugi said looking at Malik with disbelief.

"Agreed." Malik responded, and the two of them finished their lunch in silence while they waited for the others to locate them.

"No, Marik, no more! I'm done trying on clothes!" Yami yelled at Marik as the other tried to force several more leather outfits into Yami's dressing room that was already packed with clothes.

"But you'll look great in these! Come on, just try them on!" Marik persisted.

"NO! You're worse than Yugi, when he wants chocolate chip pancakes with a smiling clown face! I'm not trying anything else on and that's FINAL!" Yami exclaimed.

"Yeah, but Yugi likes leather outfits, and he didn't seem to mind you wearing his old one. The only one that managed to survive in Yugi's siege to get rid of anything that reminded him of his life before the roof incident. So why not try it on for Yugi?" Marik tried to bribe him.

It didn't seem to work though as a huge pile of clothes were thrown over the top of the door, and landed on Marik. Kaiba could be heard laughing a short distance away, as Yami came out of the dressing room with about 13 to 15 outfits in his hands.

"No, not even for Yugi. Can we please get out of here Kaiba? I'm tired of shopping, and I want to find Yugi." Yami said stepping around the heap on the floor that consisted of clothes and Marik.

"Yeah, I've got to be getting home to Mokuba anyway. Who knows what kind of trouble he's been making for the Mutt and 'tame' Bakura in my absence." Kaiba said standing up stretching out his stiff muscles.

"Who's Mutt and 'tame' Bakura?" Yami asked confused.

"Oh, right, you're not familiar with the nicknames from our old group. Mutt is Jounouchi, and 'tame' Bakura is Ryou. Kulena can handle himself, but I won't let him near Mokuba anymore, not since he decided to try to teach Mokuba how to pick locks; baka Thief." Kaiba explained, as Marik detangled himself from the clothing pile.

"Oh, and Mokuba, he's your brother?" Yami asked.

"Yes, he's my younger brother. Hurry up Marik, or Malik and Yugi are going to beat us to the food court!" Kaiba responded before yelling over Yami's shoulder at Marik, who was now dragging himself out of the mountain of clothes he was piled under.

"You know, you could help instead of just standing there watching me." Marik grumbled at them.

"Yeah, but where's the fun in that?" Kaiba replied back.

"Just remember who delivers your pizza Kaiba; you never know when something unexpected might show up in it again." Marik said back as he finally got free from the stack of clothes.

Standing up Marik walked toward them, and the three of them headed off towards the checkout, so they could try to beat the others to the food court. Kaiba paid for his, Marik's and Yami's stuff, then the three of them took off towards the food court. One was hoping that the others _weren't_ there; one was hoping they _were_, and the last couldn't care less.

Upon their arrival at the food court they saw Yugi and Malik sitting at a table that was quite literally surrounded by bags, and almost all of them appeared to be from the same store. Just looking at all the bags the two had around them, gave Kaiba a sense of déjà vu, when Ryou, Malik, Jou, and Yugi had discovered a new store in the mall. That had to of been what happened, Yugi and Malik had discovered a new store. A new store, that apparently went by the name of Black Dreams and Wicked Nightmares, from what all the bags were saying.

"Did you two discover a new store?" Marik asked as soon as they reached the table they were sitting at.

"Yep, and it was like we died and went to heaven the minute we walked in." Yugi responded with a smile.

"How much did you two spend at this store exactly?" Yami asked next. Kaiba was afraid of what the answer was going to be.

"Don't know we really didn't pay attention to the amount." Malik said shrugging his shoulders.

"Well, I'm sure I'll find out eventually. I've called my driver to come get us and to take us to our respective homes." Kaiba said snapping his phone shut. No one had even been aware that he had been talking to someone.

Five minutes later everyone, including the large amounts of shopping bags was all piled into Kaiba's limo, and they headed off for the Game Shop as it was the closest to the mall. After Yugi had Yami help him carry his bags, plus the ones Yami had for himself as well, into the house both boys collapsed onto the couch.

"So what's next?" Yami asked.

"We could watch a movie. I have The Hunger Games, Star Trek, Yours, Mine and Ours, Final Fantasy VII, and The Lord of the Rings trilogy set. What do you want to watch?" Yugi said in a tired voice.

"Star Trek?" Yami asked, not realizing that Yugi would take his question as the movie he wanted to watch.

"Star Trek it is then." Yugi said, pushing himself off of the couch, and walking over to the TV. He popped the DVD into the Blu-ray player, and waited for it to load. Grabbing the remote control, Yugi went to sit back on the couch, though one could say he was spooning Yami more than he was actually sitting.

Yami looked down and smirked at Yugi's new position. He then wrapped an arm around Yugi's waist and pulled him closer into his side. Yami didn't mind if Yugi was a five year old every morning, just as long as he got to cuddle with him at night, he okay with it.

Yami didn't see much of the movie Star Trek, as he had decided to see how willing Yugi actually was in his current state of mind. As it turned out Yugi was willing to do anything _above_ the belt line, and Yami had no problem taking advantage of that while he still had the chance to. At the current moment Yami had Yugi beneath him, as he pressed his body against the others, their lips locked in a passionate kiss.

When the need for air became too great for either boy to ignore, they broke apart only for Yami to reposition his lips on Yugi's neck. He sucked hard on parts of Yugi's skin, causing the boy to moan at the sensation. Yami was quite pleased at his handiwork when he pulled away to look at it. There were three love bites on Yugi's pale skinned neck, and it made Yami even more proud to know that he was the one to have put them there. Yami didn't get to admire his work for very long though, when a hand came up to grasp his collar, and pull him back down into a searing kiss.

The two boys made out for a good two hours straight, and by the end of the session each knew all of the others sensitive spots above the waist line. Yugi suggested that they actually try to watch the movie, seeing as that was their intention in the first place. Yami reluctantly got up off of Yugi, only to be pushed down on his back, as Yugi made a pillow out of his chest. Yami had no complaints about their new position as he wrapped an arm around Yugi's waist.

Both boys looked over to the screen to see the last of the credits rolling up on it. Yugi laughed a bit into Yami's chest, before looking up at him with a smile.

"Did you enjoy the movie?" Yugi asked, knowing Yami had probably only seen up to the part where Kirk's Father crashed the ship into the Romulan's rather larger ship.

"I didn't see much of it, can we watch it again?" Yami asked smiling back down at him.

"Tomorrow, right now we need to get to bed. It's already going on 11:30, and the shop hasn't been open all week, so we need to run it tomorrow too." Yugi replied, climbing off of Yami, much to his disappointment.

"All right, that should be interesting." Yami replied.

The two went upstairs where Yugi went into his room, and Yami started to walk down the hall to his own room.

"Where are you going? You know my bed can fit up to three people comfortably right?" Yugi asked him, poking his head out of his bedroom door.

"I'm not so sure that that's a good idea Yugi." Yami said looking at him uneasily.

"Yeah, you're probably right, well night!" Yugi conceded, before pulling his head back into his room and closing the door.

Yami waited in his room until he felt Yugi was asleep through the mind link, Yugi may have been able to keep his thoughts away from Yami, but his emotions were fair game to him. He knew that when he felt a sense of pure calamity run through the link, that meant that Yugi was asleep. Yami casually opened the portal between his room and Yugi's corner and walked through.

Once Yami had settled himself comfortably in the corner, he promptly fell asleep. It felt to Yami as if he had only just closed his eyes before they were snapping open to a loud shrieking, screaming voice that filled the entire house, and probably the two next door as well.

"WHAT THE-?! YAMI WHAT IN THE DEVIL'S DOMAIN DID WE DO YESTERDAY?!"

**Don't you just love the way I ended it? It's the perfect cliffhanger. Anyway, thanks to all of those who are/have following/favorited this story. Thank you to everyone who reviewed Guest and User alike. Oh, and for those of you who don't know what Roman Numerals are which VII=7. Please review, without using vulgarity! Midnight ;p**


	22. Hide-and-seek

**Happy birthday to me, I live in a tree, I do not own Yugioh, enjoy the show. WHOO! [YAMI, ****_YUGI, _****and** _FLASHBACK_]

Chapter 22

As Yami heard Yugi's footsteps stomping down the hallway towards the other bedroom, Yami started thinking of ways to escape Yugi's oncoming wrath. However, the only thing he could think of was using that special gift of his that came with being connected to the puzzle. Especially after the next noise he heard.

"WHERE ARE YOU?! I'M GOING TO WRING YOUR NECK FOR MARKING UP MINE!" Yugi screamed as he slammed open the other's bedroom door.

Yes disappearing for a day definitely seemed like the _best_ and _proper_ response to Yugi's volcanic anger right now. Especially since those footsteps were coming back in _his_ direction. Yami quickly used some Shadow Magic to escape into the puzzle, and not a second too soon either, as the door to Yugi's room slammed open.

A wisp of shadow on the ground, and the eye on the pendant Yugi was wearing going dark before returning to its original gold color, was the only indication Yugi received telling him of Yami's whereabouts. Not that he was paying attention; Yugi was too busy scouring the room in his search for Yami.

"_I know you're in here, and I will find you._" Yugi growled at the now empty room, he just didn't know it yet.

After searching the room for a good five minutes, Yugi whirled around to face Yami's corner. Walking over to it, Yugi pounced into the dark space hoping to surprise Yami. Instead Yugi found himself in complete darkness, that wasn't all black; it had some purple mixed into it too. That wasn't the part that crept Yugi out though, the part that crept him out was that it seemed to be moving.

Yugi turned around and jumped back in the direction he thought he had come from, surprisingly enough it worked. Yugi found himself jumping back into his bedroom. Looking behind him, Yugi saw that the corner hadn't seemed to change at all. It still looked slightly darker than all the rest, and it was slightly colder too.

"I always knew there had to be some _rational_ reason why I stayed away from it." Yugi muttered, as he walked out of his room and back towards Yami's.

Going into the room this time and not just glancing around, Yugi quickly came to the conclusion that Yami wasn't in either of their bedrooms. Climbing out of the now messy closet, Yugi dusted himself off after climbing to his feet.

**_Alright Yami, you want to play hide-and-go-seek, fine let's play. I've always loved a good game, especially since I never lose._**

**We'll see, and what are the rules of hide-and-go-seek anyway? 'Crazy' Marik mentioned it to me, but he never told me what it was exactly. Oh, and now I know why you guys call him 'crazy'.**

**_It's a game you're already playing. A game you can't win. I highly doubt that, you only spent a day with him, trying spending a week one of these days. Oh, and don't forget to invite Bakura over, then we'll be able to have a party._**

**Yes, but what are the rules? And why would it be a party?**

**_You're hiding, and I'm seeking you. Marik's 'crazy' and Bakura can be just as bad sometimes. The only person I've ever seen to whip those two into shape would have to be Ishizu, Malik's older sister. Then again, she does hang out with them for most of the day during the school week, so it should be expected that she would know how to handle them._**

**So you're trying to find me? I see.**

**_Not trying, I will find you. _**

**Heh, we'll see.**

**_Yes, you will._**

**Tell you what; if you find me I will suffer any punishment you had planned out for me, deal?**

**_And if I don't?_**

**Well, if you don't then I get to take you out for a date, and you don't get to complain.**

**_Deal._**

Yugi shut off his part of the link after that, he was on the hunt for Yami, and this was one hunt he was determined to succeed at. There was no way Yugi was going on a date with Yami, even though the other did seem to carry a death wish for some reason. Yugi just didn't know why Yami didn't seem to get it. If Yugi went out with him, he would be putting Yami in danger. Yugi never wanted to put any of his friends in any danger, ever again. Once was enough for him to endure, he didn't want to go through it again.

Yugi got down to business as he re-checked his and Yami's rooms more thoroughly. Making sure to check every nook and cranny that he himself could fit into, as Yami wasn't that much bigger then he himself was. After coming up empty Yugi went to check the kitchen, hallway, his Grandpa's room, and the bathroom, though not necessarily in that exact order.

After coming up empty handed in all of those areas, Yugi decided to sit down and eat lunch. Though that didn't mean he couldn't have some fun while making his lunch of course. If Yami was anything like Jounouchi was, than talking about food would get him out of his hiding spot in about two seconds flat.

**_Now let's see, what to eat for lunch? Hmm, there's miso soup, pizza, corn dogs, chips, pudding cups, soda, salads, stuff for making sandwiches, rice, chicken, macaroni and cheese, cup of noodles, and ice cream. Hmm, what should I eat? What do you think Yami, what sounds good?_**

**I bet this food trick works on one of your old friends, doesn't it Yugi?**

**_You mean you're not hungry? Well then, I think I'll have a BLT, chips, and a cherry soda. Oh, look it's the last one too._**

Yugi got out the ingredients for the BLT and took out a frying pan to cook the bacon in. Though, Yugi wasn't done with trying to get Yami to come out of his hiding spot, wherever it was.

**_Mmmm, doesn't the smell of cooking bacon just smell so wonderful? Doesn't it just make you want some? Oh, and that sizzling and popping sound it makes, music, pure music to my ears. Oh, do you hear how crisp this lettuce is; just listen to its tender snapping crunch. And this tomato just come and see how well it cuts, even the juice squirts out of it perfectly._**

**Are you cheating Yugi? Is that what this whole food game is about, you trying to cheat?**

**_No, I'm trying to do something else that Jounouchi fell for every single time we played this game at my house. You might as well as give up Yami; I'm going to find you eventually anyway._**

**Not a chance, I'm just as determined as you are to win this little game between us. And this whole food charade you're doing, it's not going to work.**

**_It's not a charade; I really am making myself lunch. Do you want some? All you have to do is come out and get it._**

**Come out? You're trying to get me to come out of my hiding spot? Heh, not going to happen, give up Yugi, you're never going to find me.**

**_If you say so…_**

**You mean you're giving up?**

**_No._**

**Then what does that mean?**

**_Exactly what I said, if you say so, now I'm eating, so afterwards I will continue to search for you, seeing as the food deploy didn't work as well as I had hoped it would. _**

**Hmph, I can't believe you actually thought it would.**

**_I don't know what you're weakness is yet, so I'm willing to try anything short of harming myself._**

**Good, because I wouldn't appreciate it if you had hurt yourself all for a silly game.**

Yugi froze for half of a second with a chip halfway to his mouth. He was contemplating what Yami had just said. He wouldn't appreciate it if Yugi hurt himself? Was he Yami's weakness, and if that was true, it would explain why Yami was so emotional at the Hospital. Also why Yami was trying to be his hero, even when he had told him countless times that he didn't need one.

Shaking it off to think about later, Yugi quickly finished up his lunch. Placing all the dishes he used in the dishwasher, he paper toweled most of the grease out of the pan and placed that in the sink to wash later. Yugi then walked out of the kitchen and towards the stairs to go down to the living room.

**_Ready or not here I come._**

Yugi walked down the stairs and jumped off the last one to come face to face with a living room full of shopping bags. Though, most of them seemed to be from one store in particular called Black Dreams and Wicked Nightmares. Looking through the bags Yugi found them all to be of his particular taste from about three years ago. Leather, chokers, leather, black outfits, leather, high top boots that looked as if they would be up to the middle of his thigh when he put them on, leather, and more leather. So in short, he went to the mall yesterday, and he happened to be 13 at the time.

Searching through the bags some more he finally came upon a small one with the words Hot Topic on it. Opening it, he saw that none of the neck belts he had gotten were for him, they all appeared to be for Yami, judging on what each one said. The black and crimson one said My Darkness, the dark blue and dark brown one said Owned Property, and the last one a dark forest green and fuchsia one said Whipped. Yugi could only assume his 13 year old self had undeniably felt attracted to the other.

Of course this also did explain why he had love bites on his neck, he had obviously had a make out session with the other, and judging by the state of the couch that was where it had happened. Looking some more around the living room, Yugi saw that the case for the Star Trek movie was open, but the disc wasn't in it. It wasn't that hard for Yugi to put it together after that.

Obviously after they had come home from the mall, Yugi had suggested a movie. Star Trek was what they had been watching before one of them had started to kiss the other. Most likely they hadn't even watched the movie in favor of finding kissing to be more enjoyable than watching the movie was.

Yugi had been such a pushover when he was younger; he gave into doing almost anything if it suited him, or one of his friends. Even talking to people he didn't even know, yeah he did that too. All that got him though was a two week stay in the Hospital.

Getting up out of the bags, he noticed some bags that he hadn't seen before. They were from that store that Marik, Bakura, and Kaiba always liked going to. He could only assume now that he and Yami weren't alone at the mall yesterday, they had had company. Though, how much company, he wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer to that. Becoming curious, Yugi rifled through Yami's bags too to find an assortment of clothes that both Kaiba and Marik liked. So he had been with Malik, and Yami had been with Kaiba and Marik when they were at the mall yesterday.

Kaiba had probably given him a few outfits to try on, while Marik had most likely been shoving mountains of clothes upon him. No wonder Yami had said he knew why they called him 'crazy', but that didn't mean anything. After all that wasn't how Marik had gotten his nickname, and he hadn't received it from his last name Crayzee either. He had received the nickname from Malik, and it had stuck, like someone had super glued it there.

Yugi laughed slightly at the fond memory, recalling very clearly the stunt, that Marik had been trying to pull that day, which had caused Malik to call him crazy in the first place. Catching himself laughing at his old friends past antics, he stopped laughing and got back down to trying to find Yami.

After doing a thorough search of the living room he went to the game room. The game room had a lot of hiding spots. One Yugi used multiple of times in one day, much to Jounouchi's disbelief when he finally found him all _seven_ times squished behind the Pac-Man machine. So it was needless to say that Yugi looked in _every_ _single_ nook and cranny that existed in the game room. By the time he was done, Yugi was beginning to get frustrated.

He couldn't find Yami _anywhere_, but he wasn't one to give up either. Walking out of the game room Yugi went down the stairs to the Game Shop door to find it locked tight. If Yami was hiding in the Game Shop, he would have had to unlock the door first.

**_Yami you are aware that once you find a hiding spot, you're not allowed to move from it right?_**

**Whoever said I had?**

**_I'm just making sure that you are aware of one of few rules of hide-and-seek._**

**One of, what are the others?**

**_Someone hides while the other person seeks them out. Once you find a hiding spot you're not allowed to move from it until the person seeking you has found your hiding spot and said 'I found you!' Those are the rules of hide-and-go-seek._**

**Well you don't have to worry Yugi, I haven't moved once from my hiding spot, and I don't intend to either.**

**_I will find you, mou hitori no boku._**

**Sure you will, Little One.**

With those words both sides of the link were shut tight, and Yugi had a feeling that it would stay that way until either Yugi gave up or found Yami; with the latter being more likely than the first. Yugi sat down on the couch in the living room and thought about every place that _he_ knew of that could be a hiding spot.

As soon as Yugi thought this he sat up with his back as straight as a board. That was the problem wasn't it? He was looking in all the spots that he, Yugi, knew about. He never thought of a possibility where Yami might know of a spot to hide that he _didn't_ know about. Thinking their past conversations over Yugi tried to find some clue as to where Yami could be hiding from that. One of their earlier conversations popped into his mind then. The one they had had in Yugi's secret hiding spot in the park.

_"Just know that you're probably not going to get far, not with this on at least."Yami said reaching over and holding the puzzle up before Yugi's eyes._

Yugi looked down at the pendant around his neck, and picked it up having the eye of Horus facing him. Yugi looked at it for a second with disbelief clearly written on his face. He started to shake his head at the pendant.

"There is no way, absolutely no way; Yami could have possibly fit inside this puzzle. Unless he can shrink somehow, there is no way he could have gotten in. Then again it _is_ the _only_ place I _haven't_ looked. I can't believe what I'm about to attempt; something like this belongs in Marik's category of crazy, not mine." Yugi said all while looking uneasily at the puzzle.

"Well here goes nothing." Yugi said taking a deep breath and then letting it out again.

Looking at the puzzle Yugi began to think of a lot of things to try to penetrate the eye on the pendant. He was pretty surprised at what thought actually _did_ work. 'I need a safe place to hide and rest.' There was a bright flash of light, and Yugi found himself in a dark hallway with two doors facing each other on opposite sides of the hallway.

One side of the hallway looked old and decrypt, while the other looked brand new. The side that looked old had the same eye of Horus on Yugi's pendant on the door. While the side that looked brand new, the door was open ajar, making Yugi curios as to what could be inside it.

Approaching the door, Yugi pushed it open to reveal a room he recognized only too well. There were games and puzzles scattered everywhere, a Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl plushy on his bed, and game tokens from the arcade scattered here and there. He was in _his_ room, the room he gave up, in favor of living a more safe life than the one he had been living; the life where he trusted everyone that he met without a second thought, but he had plenty of those now.

Yugi slowly walked into the room to see pictures of his most precious duel monsters cards on the walls, but they had a dusty look to them. Yes, he had given that up too, playing duel monsters, and he couldn't blame them for looking as dusty as they did. He hadn't touched them since he had locked them away in the bottom of his desk drawer.

Looking around the room Yugi was reminded all too well of all that he had given up, of all that he had lost. Taking a deep breath Yugi walked back out of the room, closing the door behind him. Once outside of the room, Yugi lowered his head and let the breath out at the floor, before raising his head again and looking at the other door.

Taking a step forward Yugi placed his hand on the door's handle and opened it, to find that the room was pitch black. However, as soon as he stepped inside, it was like he had tripped the motion sensors because the lights came on.

Yugi's jaw dropped at what he was seeing. The entire room looked like some kind of labyrinth, some kind of _twisted_ labyrinth that was. There were stairs on the ceiling, walls, and even the floor he was currently standing on, if this even _was_ the floor. Closing his mouth Yugi looked around the area to find a throne with a sleeping Yami in it. Smiling, Yugi quietly walked over to him before jumping in his lap.

"I found you." Yugi said barely with holding his laughter while looking down upon Yami's quite startled expression.

"No wonder Marik said not to play hide-and-seek with you, it seems you can find any hiding spot, no matter where it is. Well alright a deal is a deal, what's my punishment?" Yami said trying to sit up more comfortably, something which is very hard to do when you have some sitting on you.

"I can't remember right now, but I'm sure it'll come back to me later. So do you want to watch the Star Trek movie again? Though this time you actually have to watch it, we can't open the Shop anymore it's already 3:30 pm, and the Shop closes at 3:00 pm." Yugi said climbing off of Yami, and standing in front of him with his arms crossed.

"I'm surprised at you Yugi." Yami said with one arm on the arm rest, and his head propped against said arms fist.

"Surprise about what?" Yugi asked in confusion.

"You don't have any questions?" Yami asked motioning with his other hand to the room they were in.

"How do we get out of here?" Yugi asked, bluntly ignoring Yami gesture.

"I meant about the room, you don't have any questions about the room?" Yami asked, in a voice that said he clearly wasn't amused with Yugi's lack of curiosity.

"No, because I think it suits you. Its design is just as complicated as you tend to be at times. I would like to leave now please." Yugi said after briefly looking around the room, and ended his tiny speech with a small smile.

There was another flash of light, and Yugi found himself back on the couch with the puzzle hanging around his neck, and his face in a pillow. So wherever Yugi had been, he hadn't left the world physically, just mentally it appeared. As soon as Yugi sat up, Yami materialized in front of him, literally in front of him.

"Yugi, what does your soul room mean? I couldn't quite figure it out; it doesn't seem to reflect you at all." Yami said sitting down on the couch next to Yugi.

"That's what that room was, my soul room? It actually does reflect me in a way, it reflects what I miss. All the things I wish I still did, had, or want to have, it reflects the me that I and everyone else misses." Yugi said with a small bit of regret in his voice, before grabbing the remote to start the movie over again.

The remote was grabbed out of his hands by Yami, as he turned Yugi to face him. Yami just stared into Yugi's eyes for a few seconds before looking away. Yugi wasn't sure what he was looking for, or if he had found it, before Yami pressed the play button on the remote and the movie started again.

The two boys sat in each other's silent company for the rest of the day watching several movies, neither making an attempt to talk, as both had nothing to say. It was around the end of the night at about 10:23 pm that Yugi finally remembered what Yami's punishment was. Rifling through the bags he found the one with the neck belts from Hot Topic. Pulling out the ones that said Whipped and Owned Property, he handed them to Yami without a single comment, and walked upstairs to the kitchen.

"What is this for?" Yami asked Yugi's retreating back.

"Wear them, for the rest of the week, that's your punishment." Yugi replied back, a smirk pulling at the end of his mouth.

"I suppose it could have been worse." Yami muttered.

Yugi laughing was the only response he received to his comment, as he headed up the stairs after him.

**I also do not own Hot Topic or Star Trek, they didn't fit in my song up top. Thank you to everyone who have/are favorited/following this story. Also thank you to everyone who reviewed, Guest and User alike. Please review without using vulgarity. Midnight ;p**


	23. Rubbed the wrong way

**Hey ya'll, what's cooking besides my story being updated? I have jelly beans for any one who reviews. Though, in any case, I do not own Yugioh, enjoy. [YAMI and ****_YUGI_****]**

Chapter 23

Yami woke up the next morning groaning in complaint to the persistent finger poking at him. Even after Yami opened his eyes the finger still didn't stop poking him in the back. Reaching behind him, Yami grabbed the offense object, and yanked it forward earning a surprised yelp.

"There are easier ways to wake me up Yugi; you don't have to poke me." Yami growled out turning his head slightly to look at the one on his shoulder.

"I tried the easier ways already. I used the alarm clock, jumping on your bed, yelling in your ear, shaking you, hey I even kissed you a couple of times, you still laid there like a ton of bricks. I was about ready to flip your mattress if this didn't work. Though now that you're up, you get to have fun running to school, because getting dressed and out the door is all you have time for anymore." Yugi said back, yanking his finger out of the other's grip and climbing off of him.

"What!? Why didn't you wake me up sooner?!" Yami said, glancing at the clock and bolting from the bed.

Yugi looked at him in disbelief for a second before throwing his arms up in the air, and walking out of the room. Yugi walked down to the store and opened it, he figured he might as well as, seeing as it hadn't been opened for little over a week. A few seconds later Yugi felt a brush of air whip past him as Yami ran out the door, the poor door itself slamming shut in his wake.

**_Don't slam the doors Yami._**

**I'm in a hurry, don't criticize me Yugi.**

**_Don't forget Jounouchi's story today either._**

**Right, thanks for the reminder.**

**_Which neck belt are you wearing, just out of curiosity?_**

**Get out of my head Yugi; I'm trying to get to school before the gates close.**

**_So neither, okay, don't worry, I'll make sure you have it on tomorrow._**

**That's not a very comforting thought, yes made it, just in time too.**

**_Gasp, ooo, big shocker, the janitor always waits until I arrive to lock the gates. No surprise he waited for you too._**

**Have a nice day at home Yugi.**

**_Have fun in school and detention today._**

**Ugh, annoy someone else!**

**_No problem, a customer just walked in._**

"That poor customer, I feel so sorry for him." Yami muttered under his breath as he shut his locker door.

"Hey Yami, heard you got Rebecca's story along with several detentions to go with it. She always causes trouble for others." A voice said from behind him.

Yami turned around to see Jounouchi standing there. He looked as if he was ready to burst with something, and Yami had a feeling he knew exactly what it was.

"Oh, hey, Jounouchi, what can I do for you?" Yami asked casually.

"I want to tell you what really happened, because Rebecca probably straight up lied to you. Especially about seeing someone push Yug' off the roof, it was her, she was seen up on that roof after he fell." Jounouchi started to explain to him.

Yami held up his hand to stop him. He had a feeling that if he had let Jounouchi continue he would have told him everything right there. Yami couldn't afford any more detentions, and he had to get to class. Though, he also needed to make something very clear to Jounouchi before he did head off to class.

"Jounouchi, I'm not here to judge anyone. I'll do my judging after I've collected all of your stories, and not until. So regardless of how much you _tell_ me that it was Rebecca, I won't believe you until I see everything as it _is_, and not how everyone thought it _was_. Do you understand what I'm getting at here?" Yami stated clearly at the other.

"Oh, I get it, you don't _care_ for the truth, just what you _think_ is the truth. Don't worry I'll still tell my part, but don't expect me to sugar coat it like I've done with everyone else." Jounouchi spat at him, before stomping away.

"Good, because I'm not looking for cotton candy fluff, what I'm looking for is cold hard facts." Yami muttered as soon as he was around the corner, before he to made his way to class.

"This isn't good, if Jou tells him everything, he'll mention seeing me in his story, twice. I have to do something; maybe, if I get Jou in detention he won't be able to meet that Foreigner after school. Yes that's what I'll do; I'll get Jou in detention for today after school." With a quiet laugh, the shadow of a person slipped off after Jou. They too had to get to class, and it made it all the more convenient for them that they and Jou happened to share the same first period, homeroom.

Yami sat down in his seat just as the warning bell rang. Turning in his seat, he attempted to strike up a conversation with Malik only to see Marik sitting there. He looked utterly bemused at Yami's baffled expression.

"Where's Malik?" Yami asked.

"Taking my test in Geometry, I'm not very good at graph math." Marik explained like it was the most normal thing in the world.

For all Yami knew, it could have been. Turning back in his seat, he looked towards the door to see a different teacher dragging Malik in by the scruff of his shirt into the classroom. Malik looked like he was trying _not_ to laugh, while the teacher looked _less_ then pleased. Houtou Sensei and the other teacher talked in the front of the room for a few minutes before Houtou Sensei turned to the classroom.

"Alright Mr. Crayzee, I don't know how many times you're going to try this _before_ you realize that you're not going to get away with it. Mr. Ishtar _can't_ take your test, quizzes, or final exams for you; you have to take them yourself. Now, Nakajo Sensei would like it if you would please get back to your _own_ class, and _I_ would like it if Mr. Ishtar could have his seat back, _now_." Houtou Sensei said his eyes glued in a glare at the back of the room, right behind Yami.

The entire classroom was filled with muffled laughter, as Malik was released, and a scraping of a chair behind Yami was heard. Yami couldn't help but to muffle his own laughter as well, as Marik walked, like he was walking to his death, to the front of the classroom. While Malik had his hand clasped over his own mouth, shaking with mirth as he unsteadily made his way to his own seat. As soon as Marik was within reaching distance of Nakajo Sensei she grabbed him by his collar, and all but dragged him out of the classroom.

"Is this normal for an average Monday?" Yami asked turning his head over his shoulder a bit.

"Yeah, about twice a month he sees if he can get away with it. The only problem with his plan is that his eyes are a slightly darker shade of violet than mine are, and he's more muscular too. Other than those features we could pass as twins, or at least we could if Ishizu didn't share first period and sit right behind Marik, that is." Malik whispered back, right before Karu Sensei walked in.

Both boys straightened up immediately, and paid rapt attention to the woman in the front of the classroom. Yami had learned quickly in his first week of school here that this woman wasn't to be messed with. She was a whole different breed of strict than Yugi was, and like Yugi she wasn't to be messed with when mad. With her it was better to button your lip and eat whatever she threw at you, it was the only way to survive anyway.

**_You're just _****now ****_figuring this out? Wow, you're kind of slow aren't you? I'll be tutoring you for sure at this rate. Oh, customer._**

**No I figured this out Friday, and I don't need a ****_tutor._**

**_Heh, we'll see. X=65, by the way._**

"Mr. Sennen, if I have to call your name one more time, you will have a detention! Now, what is the answer to the problem on the board?" Karu Sensei was yelling in his face. He really needed to learn how to ignore Yugi.

"Uh, X=65, Sensei." Yami said frantically after quickly looking at the board behind her. Thank heaven he had Yugi, or he would be screwed.

"Hmm, lucky guess." Karu Sensei said straightening up, tapping her foot on the ground three times, and then turning to head back to the front of the room.

Yami knew better than to sigh in relief, otherwise she would assume she was right, and attack him again later with a more difficult problem. He'd seen her do it before, so he breathed his extra breath out in a normal fashion, so she wouldn't attack him again later. It worked; she actually left him alone for the rest of the period.

Yami had Literature after Algebra 2, he didn't mind Seki Sensei, he was nice. Just so long as you wrote for the first half hour of the two hour period, you were forever in his good graces. If you didn't he was always at your back about wanting more out of you, because he knew you had it in you to write much better than you currently were. 'You can always write well in a much better manner' he would say. Though, he had yet to say this to Yami, because he made sure to always write for the first half hour, the rest of the time he spent either talking to Malik or Yugi.

Today Yami decided to spend his writing time about his experience with a Yugi on pain killers, and the pros and cons of such an experience. By the time he was done, he had three pages written out, and 45 minutes out of the 120 minute period were gone. Walking to the front he handed in his paper, and then walked back to his seat. Only three other people were still writing, including Malik. So Yami decided to see what Yugi was up to, and thus tried to poke and prod at his mind again.

Yami was quite shocked when he could hear everything clearly of what Yugi was doing, Yugi was crying. Yami didn't have a clue as to why but he felt if he listened quietly enough he would eventually get his answer.

Yugi closed the shop as everyone of his early rising shoppers had already stopped by, and no would again until around 1:00 pm. Yugi and his Grandpa had their shoppers marked on the clock, the ones they could always count on to show up, no matter what. Yugi climbed the stairs to his bedroom as he heard an errant thought of Yami's pass through his mind.

**And then Yugi invited me to come in after him. It was almost like I hadn't learned my lesson the first time with the tree, because I went in after him.**

Yugi laughed slightly at what he had just heard and waited for more, but no more came his way. Yami must have been in literature, which meant he had survived another lesson with Karu Sensei, though probably by just the edge of his seat.

Yugi went into his room and opened one of his desk drawers. Reaching in he pulled out a penny that had a hole in the middle, and had a string looped through the hole. Weighing it in his hand for moment he closed the drawer only to open a different, and bigger, drawer. Moving aside some notebooks in the drawer, Yugi reached into the far back of the drawer until he felt a latch and pulled it, making the bottom of the drawer come up slightly. Using his other hand Yugi pulled the board; notebooks included, out of the drawer and placed them to his side. Looking down in the drawer, Yugi saw a hole just big enough for a string to fit through, the string he had attached to the penny that was.

Slowly lowering the string into the hole, Yugi tried to find the hook in the bottom of the drawer. It had been so long since he had done this, that he no longer knew its exact location anymore. Finally after five long minutes Yugi felt the tug he had been looking for, and without hesitating Yugi quickly yanked on the string, causing a secret compartment on the bottom of his desk to open and his Duel Monster Cards to come tumbling out in a rainbow of colors.

After making sure that all the cards were out, he let the penny go where it just clattered to the bottom of the drawer. Scooping up the cards Yugi began to carefully dust them off and sort through them. When he got to the end of his desk he finally came across the cards he was looking for. The Dark Magician, The Dark Magician Girl, Kuriboh, Multiply, Monster Reborn, Magical Hats, and his Mirror of Reflecting Light. He couldn't count how many times these particular cards, and the card combos they made, had saved his life points.

Though, Yugi knew he didn't deserve their loyalty anymore, didn't deserve the heart they possessed. He had cast them aside when he needed their comfort the most. Hid them away, and declared that he was giving up on dueling, forever. With these bitter memories in his mind, Yugi began to cry, more freely than he had in three years. He knew he was letting down his defenses, he knew Yami would be able to get into his mind, but right now he really didn't care.

When Yugi was nearly done crying he felt something brush his mind, only to pull back just as quickly, almost as though realizing it had been caught in enemy territory. He knew it was Yami, especially since there was a little bit of comfort coming through the link now.

**_It's alright Yami, I know you're there. My tears are nothing to worry about, I was just thinking about some things I once did is all._**

**It must have been pretty awful to make you cry so, Little One.**

**_No, just bitter, bitter memories, have you gotten Jounouchi's story yet?_**

**No, not yet, though I am currently looking for him. Where is he?**

**_You won't get it during school or lunch Yami. The only time you'll see Jou, I mean Jounouchi, is by bumping into him in the hallways. We don't share any classes with him, only Malik, Ryou, and Honda. Well, you share a class with Honda, I don't._**

Yugi glanced at the clock in his bedroom to see that it was around 10:00 am, it was time for their, Kaiba's, Rebecca's, Ryou's, Ishizu's, and _Psycho's_, lunch.

**_What are you eating for lunch?_**

**Honestly, I have no idea. It's green, brown, and disgusting. **

**_Oh, you got the surprise, didn't you?_**

**I didn't mean to, all I asked was what was in it, and they put a big heaping of it on my tray. **

**_Yeah, never ask, just say ask for something else, because if you're not quick they'll put a big helping of surprise on your plate anyway. _**

**Is the surprise always disgusting?**

**_It's rumored that the lunch ladies don't know how to make a surprise any other way._**

**Oh, goody…why are they staring me down like that?**

**_Have you eaten any of it yet?_**

**Yes.**

**_Have they seen you eaten any of it yet?_**

**No.**

**_That's why, you need to put on a happy face, chew, swallow, and give them a thumbs up and they'll stop glaring at you._**

**But it's disgusting, Aibou!**

**_Which is why most people wait until they're looking their way before taking the first bite, then they don't have to take a second one. Oh come on Yami, just get it over with._**

**No, this foul tasting goop is not entering my mouth a second time. Sorry not going to happen.**

**_For me?_**

**No, not even for you.**

**_For a kiss, from me?_**

**...Okay.**

Putting on his best fake smile Yami lifted a forkful of the food onto his fork and into his mouth, where he quickly chewed and swallowed the awful stuff. He then looked over at the lunch ladies, with a smile pasted on and gave them thumbs up. They nodded and turned away. The moment their backs were turned Yami guzzled down the rest of his strawberry milk, to get the taste out of his mouth.

When Yami had lowered down the now empty bottle of milk, he found that two people were sitting across from him. One he knew, Kaiba, but the other looked like a tame version of Bakura, so he assumed that this was Ryou, Ryou Bakura.

Ryou was glaring at him, while Kaiba, looked as if he would rather be spending his time doing something else with it. Seeing as Kaiba couldn't be less interested in what was going on around him, he took Ryou up on his glaring contest. Since Yami hadn't won much of anything since he left the puzzle, he was determined to win at this.

The two stared into each other's eyes for a good two minutes until Kaiba became bored that is. Letting out a sigh, he slammed his fist down on the table making Ryou jump, while Yami didn't even flinch. Ryou turned his glare onto Kaiba, while Yami folded his arms and put them on the table, a small smirk pulling at his lips.

"Can I help you with something Ryou?" Yami asked, the smirk growing a bit, when Ryou's eyes whipped back to him in surprise.

"Yes, actually you can. You can tell me why it is, that you believe Rebecca over Jou?" Ryou said quickly getting over his surprise that the other knew his name.

Yami rolled his eyes at Ryou's blunt statement. It only took Yami one guess as to whom Ryou had heard this misinformation from, Jounouchi.

"That's not what I said this morning to him. I told Jou, Jounouchi, that I wasn't going to judge anyone until I had acquired all the stories and put them together. I'm sorry if he told you his own story of events, but seems to happen a lot with your group doesn't it?" Yami stated back harshly, a fierce glare in his crimson eyes.

"Why should I believe you? I don't even _know_ you." Ryou said back, just short of yelling it back at him.

Yami got his tray and stood up from the table. All the while he was looking harshly at Ryou, he didn't know what it was about this person, but he had a feeling that they had a big role to play in the stories to come. Anzu had already mentioned him once, how many others would, before he finally got to him?

"You're right, you don't know me." Yami said, right before he walked over to a trash bin and dumped his lunch inside and placed the tray on the rack next to it. He walked back over to the table and gathered up his belongings.

"But you will." Yami ground out, before turning on his heel and walking out of the room.

He knew it was too early for him to be heading to his class, but at this point, he really didn't care. He just knew that he had to get away from that Ryou Bakura, or he was going to do something he seriously would regret later.

**I've been thinking about going back and naming all my other chapters lately. Nah, I'll do it later. Anyway, thanks to all of those who have reviewed, Guest and User alike. Also thanks to those of you who are/have following/favorited this story. Please review without using vulgarity. Midnight ;p [remember those who review get jelly beans.]**

**Yugi: i want jelly beans.**

**No! You're not a reviewer.**

**Yugi: but...i want some.**

**What do you guys think? Should I give him some or not?**


	24. Jou's part

**I'm updating early because I'm not going to be home this weekend, going to a wedding. Also this chapter is bordering on 12 pages long so it should hold you over until the next is posted. Right I do not own Yugioh, enjoy! [YAMI, ****_YUGI, _****and** _FLASHBACK_]

Chapter 24

The rest of the day sped along for Yami and before he knew it, it was the end of Gym and he was asking Hiwatari Sensei where detention was held. Hiwatari Sensei wasn't that helpful but Honda was, as he grabbed Yami by the arm on his way out the door.

"Yugi asked Kaiba, who asked Marik, who asked Malik, who asked Ryou, who asked Jou, who asked me to show you where detention was after school today. Kaiba should have just asked me in the first place, but I guess he forgot I shared Gym with you." Honda explained as he led Yami down hallway after hallway.

"Hey Honda, can I ask you something?" Yami asked him.

"Aren't you supposed to be working on Jou's story?" Honda asked stopping and turning around to face Yami.

"Heh, no it's nothing to do with that, or maybe it is, I don't know. It's just something you said to Jounouchi the first day I was here." Yami started to say.

"Just call him Jou, believe me it's a lot easier than trying to say his full surname all the time." Honda interrupted, with a slight laugh.

"Right, well you said _'I'm trying to help him get over it, but the rest of you just seem to believe that if we ignore it long enough it'll fix itself.'_ What did you mean by that?" Yami asked getting straight to the point.

"If we all keep our unsaid deal and tell you the truth, and I mean everything, you'll find out soon enough. However, the first time you'll most likely hear about it is in Ryou Bakura's story. No one but him knows the exact source of where it cropped up, and the real reason as to why Yugi isn't allowed in Gym. I suppose he told you that bull about the whole Grandpa and the bullies thing?" Honda responded turning around and heading down the hallway again.

"He lied? He lied about his Grandpa not wanting the bullies to have another outlet for picking on him?" Yami asked in disbelief.

"Well, no that's, well that's technically true, it's just that there was another reason that Yugi heard about once, besides the one. Right after he came back to school too. Ugh, what am I doing? I believe I'm starting to tell you my part before it's my turn, sorry. Well, here we are, detention." Honda said nervously before stopping right outside a door.

The room would have been hard to miss for Yami, even if he had wanted too. It had big bold letters on its door **DETENTION**.He just hoped he didn't have to do anything, like lines or what not. Yami turned to thank Honda for showing him where the detention room was, only to see him turning the corner at the end of the hallway.

Shaking his head a bit, Yami opened the door to detention and walked in. as soon as he stepped through the door, he found that he wasn't the only one in detention, and Yami couldn't have asked for a more perfect scenario anyway. As it turned out he hadn't of needed to try to track down Jou all day, he was going to be spending the two hours after school with him anyway.

Sitting way in the back, with his head in his arms on the desk he was sitting at was Katsuya Jounouchi. Yami didn't know what he was in for, but he didn't really care either, the situation was just too perfect. Yami was about to make his way toward him when a voice spoke up to his right surprising him.

"You must be Yami Sennen." A voice said quietly right beside him, making him jump a bit.

Yami turned to find a teacher that he had never seen before standing there. She looked stern, but nice at the same time, if that were at all possible. Yami stared at the woman before shaking himself out of it, and answer her statement.

"Ah, yeah, that's me, Yami Sennen." He replied quickly, with a nervous smile.

"Are you sure you and Yugi aren't related? You look so alike to not be related in some form or another." She said circling him like a hawk does its prey.

"Ah, no, we're not related. May I ask why you're circling me?" Yami responded as the woman continued to make circles around him.

"Hm? Oh, sorry, my name is Mira Kiryu, but most just call me Mira. I'm the detention Sensei, and I only have a few rules for you to follow. Talk quietly, take a nap, or do homework those are my rules. Follow them and your time in detention is peaceful. If you don't follow them, well I can become pretty nasty in a short space of time. I have plenty of whiteboards Yami, and I'm sure I can find one for you to write lines on. The choice is yours; I have you and Jou today, you and Marik tomorrow, you and Honda on Wednesday, and then just you on Thursday. Marik and Bakura have detention Friday which you got out of somehow, I suspect Yugi had something to do with it. I miss Yugi in detention; his stories were fun to listen to. Then again, he _was_ a lot more fun back then too." Mira sensei rambled on.

"Back then?" Yami questioned.

Mira Sensei opened her mouth to respond, but Jou beat her to the punch with his own question.

"Do you want it or not?" A lazy voice from the back of the classroom asked as it floated up to the front of the room.

"Yeah, I want it, but only if you tell me quietly." Yami said looking over his shoulder, before glancing at Mira Sensei, with a small smirk on his features.

"Are you sure you and Yugi aren't related? I mean you both find my quiet rule a little humorous. So you're quiet certain you're not related in _any_ way?" Mira Sensei asked narrowing her eyes at him slightly.

"Heh, yeah, I'm sure Mira Sensei." Yami responded back, turning and making to go sit by Jou. He hadn't even taken one step when a hand grabbed his shoulder, and spun him back around.

"Did you just put a 'Sensei' at the end of that phrase?" Mira Sensei asked in a low gravelly voice.

"Um, yes, I did?" Yami responded back, though it sounded more like a question.

"My name is Mira, Mira Kiryu, but you're to call me Mira and nothing else, got it?" as she spoke she pointed her finger so close to his face he had to cross his eyes just to see it.

"Yeah, I got it, Mira." Yami said nervously staring at the finger in between his eyes.

"Good, now sign in." Mira said placing the hand on her hip and using the other to point at a clipboard, with a sheet of paper, attached to the wall.

Yami walked over, signed in his name, and then quickly went to sit in the desk across from Jou's. Jou, who by the way, was looking as if he was holding back laughter. Well, no not holding back, his laughter was just muffled into his hands. Yami glared at him for a few seconds before pulling out the notebook that he was recording all the stories in, as well as a pencil. He looked back up to see that Jou's laughter had died almost instantly at the sight of the objects. Jou nodded, and opened his mouth to start his part of the story.

"Three years ago, seventh grade, our group was happy bunch of misfits. We were constantly pulling pranks and making bets with one another. I'd heard from Honda earlier that day that Yugi was going to tell Rebecca that he liked her." Jou started, watching Yami as he wrote everything down.

_"It's about time in my opinion, he's only been talking about doing it for two weeks now." Jou said when he heard the news from Honda._

_"Yeah, but do you think Rebecca feels the same way? I mean it seems to me like she's been avoiding Yug' most of the day."Honda said back._

_"Guess it's just one of those wait and see type of things." Jou replied back._

"Later in the day I was looking for Ryou, Rebecca, and a girl named Vivian, we were working on a project that was worth half of our grade in Science and a quarter of our grade in Literature. I needed to get a good grade because if I didn't I would have had to attend summer school, _again_. I almost literally ran into Ryou, and he looked like he was bursting with news." Jou said, looking away from Yami's writing to glare at the window behind him.

_"Are you certain Ryou?" Jou asked of the smiling boy in disbelief._

_"Yes, Anzu said she saw it with her own eyes, Yugi asked out Malik and he said yes. They're going on a date this coming Friday, can you believe it? What do you think Marik's going to say when he hears?" Ryou asked excitement and nervousness entering his voice._

_"I don't know, but perhaps we should just keep a tight lid on this until we figure out if it's true or not. I mean wasn't Yugi trying to help get Marik and Malik together? Why would he jeopardize that by stepping in between them? It, it just doesn't make __sense__ Ryou." Jou said shaking his head in confusion._

_"I suppose…Okay, I won't tell anyone else." Ryou started uncertainly, before nodding his head in both affirmation and determination._

"If I had know that Ryou's and I's conversation was being listened in on, I probably would've suggested we take it to the highest rooftop. As it was though neither of us had any idea that someone had been listening in the shadows to our conversation. The next day at school we heard the knowledge that Yugi and Malik was a couple traveling the school like a wild fire. I knew that Ryou couldn't be the culprit of the information just as much as he knew that I couldn't be, because we had both spent the night at Rebecca's house working on the project. Even shy Vivian had been there, even though she was a little late arriving at Rebecca's house. Apparently she had gotten a little lost on the way over, and taken a wrong turn, before righting herself in the correct direction again. I was told two days later by Honda that what Ryou told me was a lie." Jou said still glaring at the window behind Yami, a hard look creeping into his eyes.

_"Yugi says he doesn't know where the rumors are coming from Jou, but he and Malik aren't dating. He confessed to Rebecca not Malik, but both Yugi and Malik are trying to get to the bottom of this and fast. Word has it that its reached Marik's ears already, and everyone knows he won't go after someone who's taken. Though that's kind of the problem that Yugi's facing, because Malik isn't taken, least of all by him. Least that's what Yug' told me by our lockers this morning. Anzu acted weird when we passed by though too, she didn't even say hi as we were passing. She just let us pass by; she didn't even glance up, not once."Honda was telling Jou as they were making their way to the local burger restaurant._

_"Really? That's pretty unusual for her, but you know Ryou said he heard from Anzu that she saw with her own eyes that Yug' asked Malik out."Jou said with a slight uneasiness in his tone. Almost like, he was just discovering a potentially harmful chemical, amongst all the safe ones. _

_"You don't think there was a possibility that she liked Yugi, do you?" Honda asked Jou carefully turning to him slowly._

_"Who doesn't like Yug'? I've heard most of the girls at our school wishing that their own boyfriends could either be just __like__ him or __him__ one day."Jou responded back bluntly._

_"Good point. So Anzu was jealous perhaps, and she started a rumor out of hurt about two of her friends? That sounds a little overreaching, even for Anzu." Honda tried to make sense of it slowly._

_"True, but we're not girls man, and there is that old saying too. How does it go again, 'hell hath known no fury then that of a woman scorned'? I think that's it." Jou said looking up at the sky._

_"Yeah, but to potentially harm her __own__ relationship with Yugi, that's a bit sick don't you think?" Honda asked in a quick dismissal, like he knew deep down that Jou was making sense, he just wasn't ready to accept it quite yet._

_"Well let's put you in her shoes." Jou said._

_"Why me?" Honda asked._

_"Cause I'm taken and you're not. Remember money bags asked me out last weekend, the same day I actually __did__ manage to eat him out of house and home?"Jou responded with a slight smile on his face._

_"Oh yeah, he did, didn't he? Right after he yelled at you and then kissed you I believe. It sure left everyone else speechless enough for him to get it out to the silent room, before it broke out with everyone cheering for you both."Honda said, laughing at the memory._

_"Yeah, but anyway, suppose you heard Mai Valentine confessing to someone else, how would you respond?" Jou asked getting back to the problem at hand._

_"Well, I'd probably be upset, but I wouldn't start a rumor saying she was dating her best friend Vivian Wong, that's just mean." Honda responded back promptly._

_"Okay, but how would you respond if you were a girl?" Jou asked._

_"I don't know, I'm not a girl. Let's see if we can get your boyfriend to hack into the schools cameras and see what really happened two days ago." Honda said, turning around and going in the opposite direction of Burger World._

_"Hm, good idea, why didn't we think of that two days ago?" Jou asked walking after him._

_"Simple, we weren't thinking." Honda responded back._

"We went to Kaiba's mansion and he hacked into the schools cameras with ease. What we saw on those cameras unfolded like something from a horror movie. We saw Yugi corner Rebecca behind the school, and Rebecca reject him. We saw Anzu just around the corner from them, and she peeked around the edge just as Rebecca reach forward and give Yugi a hug. We saw Anzu run away, and bump into Ryou, they talked for a few brief seconds, before Ryou ran off. Ryou bumped into me a little later, and told me what Anzu had just told him. Our figurines talked on the camera for little longer than Ryou and Anzu had, before we both walked off. Kaiba was going to shut off the cameras then but I stopped him, I had seen something shifting in the bushes near where Ryou and I had been talking." Jou was back to looking at Yami writing down his words.

_"Wait, Seto, I think I just saw something move in those bushes there." Jou said stilling Kaiba's hand before he could click the screen off._

_"What is it Mutt?" Kaiba asked looking at what Jou was pointing at._

_A figure was climbing out from behind the bushes, before it ran off, with its back towards the camera they were looking through. There was no way to see the figure from the front though, because it hopped one of the school's fences and ran off. Almost like it didn't want anyone or anything to see its' face._

_"Who was that?" Honda asked breaking the silence first._

_"No idea, but they're probably the one who spread it around the school. What I don't understand is why? Who would want to ruin our friends' friendship like that?" Jou asked no one in particular, he was just asking the question out loud._

_"I don't know, but who's going to tell Yugi that Anzu started the rumors?" Kaiba asked._

_"Maybe we just keep this to ourselves and it'll die down like all the rest have." Jou suggested, though he knew it was probably a worthless effort._

_"No, I'm telling him tomorrow Jou, and that's the end of it."Kaiba said clicking out of the school cameras program, before closing his laptop shut._

_"All right, but just know that this will probably break up our friendship circle." Jou responded back in a half defeated half desperate voice._

_"I'm aware of the risk, Jou, but I'm also aware of the cost we might pay if we __don't__ tell him." Kaiba responded back lifting up his head and kissing him softly in on the lips. _

"I think he was trying to reassure me that everything was going to be alright. That him telling Yugi would be the glue that would start to mend us back together, because we were already falling apart. If any of us could have only known what would happen the next day, I don't know, maybe we could have done something to stop it. I had been looking for Yug' because I didn't know when Kaiba was planning on telling him, but I thought I needed to be there for support. When I finally found Yugi, I couldn't have been more horrified at what I was seeing." Jou was looking at the window behind Yami with a murderous look in his eye now.

_Jou watched in horror as Yugi was falling down from the roof, and as he looked up he saw Rebecca's head appear over the edge of the rooftop. He saw directly below her and above her Malik and Honda watching the same thing. He assumed that they would back up his story as he rushed off to find Ryou and Kaiba and tell them that Rebecca had pushed Yugi off the middle height rooftop._

_"Are you __sure__ you saw what you did Jou? The last thing we need is more rumors flying about this school." Kaiba asked for what seemed like the twelfth time in a row._

_"__Yes__, Seto I saw Yugi __falling__off__ the middle height roof, and __Rebecca's__head__ appear over the edge of that same roof. She was the __only__one__ up there, it couldn't have been anyone else, and Honda was right above them so I'm __sure__ he saw the exact same thing too." Jou explained again._

_"Alright, but let's find Honda, just, just to make sure." Kaiba started to say, before Jou cut him off._

_"Are you saying you don't believe me?" Jou asked in an angry tone._

_"No, I just want to be __certain__." Kaiba said back putting emphasis on the word certain. _

"That's when Vivian and Mai were running past us. Mai looked like she was trying to calm Vivian down about something, but whatever she was saying clearly wasn't helping. Kaiba stopped them and asked what was wrong. Vivian' words confirmed what I had just seen."

_"I was up on the highest rooftop, I was looking for you or Ryou, but what I saw was __much__ worse. I just saw Rebecca __push__ Yugi off the roof, Honda didn't see much of it, just the tail end where Rebecca was looking over the edge, but I saw the __whole__thing__. Oh, it was awful; I never want to see something like that ever again."Vivian explained hysterically._

_"Come on Viv' we need to go to the nurse, __before__ you go into shock." Mai said grabbing her upper arm and guiding her away towards the school._

_I looked towards Kaiba, and he nodded his head._

_"All right, we need to make sure Rebecca stays away from Yugi, if she tried to kill him once, she'll try to do it again." Kaiba said before walking off._

"I considered that to be my job and I took it very seriously, but perhaps a little too seriously. Keeping Rebecca away from Yugi cost me my friendship with him, and I still don't have a clue as to why. I mean sure we act civil towards one another, but despite what Kaiba believes we're not friends, we haven't been since the day I had a double fight back to back with two of my different friends, Rebecca and then Yugi." Jou was looking at his hands now, and Yami could hear the regret clear a horn being blown when he said Yugi's name, but not when he said Rebecca's.

_"Jou, let me through, I want to see Yugi! You have no right to stop me; I've known Yugi since before you even met him! Plus I need to apologize, and thank him for saving my life." Rebecca yelled before quieting her voice a bit._

_"No way, Hawkins, I saw you up there right after Yugi fell, which means you're the only one who could have done it. You're the one who pushed Yugi off. Kaiba told me that Yugi was going to tell you who started the rumor, guess you couldn't handle the truth. So you decided that pushing Yugi off the roof was the best idea to get rid of your problems."Jou said confidently, with his arms crossed._

_"What? You think __I__ pushed Yugi off? When are you going to learn to stop spreading rumors around Jou? You should ask __first__, and tell others __second__, a lot of pain and frustrations could have been saved if you, Ryou, and Anzu had done that in the first place. Some friends we all are to Yugi, we treat him like dirt, and then hope he'll forgive us. I'm not so sure he will this time though, do you? After all, not one of us saw that he was in any kind of danger, until he fell. It was meant to be me, he pushed me out of the way at the last minute, even after what I had just said to him, he pushed me out of the way."Rebecca replied heatedly, before speaking in little above a whisper, making it difficult for Jou to even catch what she was saying._

_"Hey, is this the room where Yugi Mutou is?" a soft voice asked from behind Rebecca._

_Both Rebecca and I turned to see Vivian Wong standing there holding a small teddy bear with a fake white rose and a card attached to it._

_"Yeah, it is." Jou told her._

_"Thank you." She replied before going in, she was in and out of the room in a few quick seconds before leaving the Hospital._

"I don't really know what it was, but Rebecca just abandoned our argument and walked out after her. She didn't try to come see Yugi again, something I wasn't exactly grateful for after what I'm about to tell you next. Yugi woke up that day, just as I was walking back into the room, he groaned out my name, seeing as I was the only person in the room at the time."

_"Jou? Is that you? Where's Rebecca, I thought I heard her voice just now?" Yugi asked groggily from his bed, half open eye focusing on him._

_"Oh, don't worry about her, I sent her away." Jou replied back confidently._

_Yugi squeezed his eyes shut before blinking them a couple of times to get them completely open. When they were, he turned his head to face Jou directly._

_"I'm sorry, you what?" Yugi asked, there was danger in his voice, Jou could hear it, but he simply ignored it._

_"I sent her away." Jou replied back bluntly sitting down in a chair._

_"Yes, I got that part, what I want know is __why__?"Yugi said in a clearly annoyed tone._

_"Well, because, she pushed you, she pushed you off the roof." Jou explained, like it was obvious._

_"Tell you what Jou, why don't you go find her, bring her back and we can talk with you in the room. That way you're not disregarding your orders, whatever they are. Go find Rebecca Jou, if she hasn't already left the Hospital." Yugi said in a low angry voice, with venom just being contained from leaking into his words._

"Yug' was really peeved, so I just did what he asked. I went to find Rebecca, but a nurse told me she had already left the Hospital two minutes ago. I knew Yugi wouldn't be happy with that news, but I was determined to deliver it to him anyway. I was out of the room for five maybe ten minutes, but I truly think it only took seconds to get Yug' to the stage of rage that he was in when I walked back in the room. I don't know how he knew it was me, he wasn't even facing me at first, but his first words the second I stepped back into that room, still give me the chills." Jou was looking back at Yami writing again, but he did indeed shudder when he said the word chills.

_"Get out." Those were the words that greeted Jou the second he stepped into the room._

_Those two words had more venom, hatred, and anger in them then even the Devil could muster into his own words. Those two simple words put fear into Jou's bones and made him stand still. He didn't move further into the room, but he didn't leave either. All Jou could see of Yugi was that he had his right hand balled up into a fist, almost like he was clutching something in it._

_"Wh-what?" Jou asked._

_"Get out of here. I never want to see you in this room again. Nor will you be allowed at my home either. You can still come to the Game Shop, that's fine by me, but never will you step a toe into the upper rooms of the building ever again. Get out." Yugi never raised his voice above a low growl out of his throat as he whipped his head around to face Jou, though Jou felt it would have been better if he had. _

_Jou just stared at Yugi as he slowly comprehended what it was he was saying. The look in Yugi's eyes is what scared him the most though, his eyes clearly said he was not allowing himself to forgive Jou, nor would he ever be doing so. _

_Just as Jou was coming to grips with this, Yugi slammed his elbow on the call nurse button by his head. A nurse came rushing in immediately._

_"Yes, Mr. Mutou, what is it?" the nurse asked kindly._

_"This visitor is causing me heaps of stress, and that's not very good for my recovery, now is it?" Yugi looked at Jou as he said this, his eyes shifting to the nurse on the last three._

_"Sir visiting hours are over, time for you to leave, let's go." The nurse said taking Jou by the arm and slowly pulling him out of the room._

_"But what did I do wrong?" Jou whispered out as he allowed the nurse to walk him out. He wasn't even aware that he was leaving; it was as if someone had hit a switch, and he'd gone on auto-pilot mode._

"Two weeks, that's how long it took for Yugi to talk to everyone else, except Rebecca and Anzu when he was in the Hospital. In those two simple weeks, Yugi pushed each and every one of us for different reasons, away. Is detention over Mira?" Jou said before turning towards Mira to ask her a question.

"For an hour now." Mira responded, flipping a page of her magazine.

It was something called 'How to make weapons out of things you find in the woods'. Yami didn't even want to know why she was reading it. Though, she was a good way through it already, over halfway. Yami put away his notebook and pencil, he figured since Jou was asking about detention being over, they were done.

He got up and walked out after Jou, but as he was leaving Mira told him she'd see him tomorrow. Though, it seemed more like it was a challenge then an actual threat. He just nodded his head in response, and quickly made for home.

**_Enjoy detention with Jou?_**

**Eh, it was okay, but Mira told me something interesting Yugi. I didn't know you used to be in detention, what could you have possibly done to earn detentions?**

**_Pranks and bets Yami, and Mira loved hearing all about them every time we got caught and thrown in detention. You know I think I might join you in detention tomorrow, I mean I have nothing better to do. Also, it's been a while since I last talked to Mira. Did she say she missed me?_**

**Wait, you can just show up for detention, even if you don't have it? Yes, she did say that she missed you.**

**_Yeah, I mean Bakura and Marik do it every Friday, and if they don't show up, she hunts them down._**

**Hm, well I'm home.**

**_Okay._**

Yami had barely walked through the upstairs door, leading up from the Game Shop, when two hands grabbed him and slammed him against a wall. Yami had barely any time to register this, before lips that he very well recognized were kissing him, roughly.

He had to admit Yugi was a good kisser, when he wanted to be. Well yeah, sure they had had a make-out session on the couch just the other day, but this; this was so much better than that. Yugi knew what he was doing and it was driving Yami mad with want. Soon their positions were reversed and it was Yugi pressed up against the wall, instead of Yami. Yami kept Yugi in place by pressing his body up against him, and one of his legs in between Yugi's. Things were getting heated between them, fast, if the moaning Yugi was doing was anything to go by. However, all good things must come to an end, even this.

**_Yami, need air, can't breathe._**

Yami pulled away from him breathing heavily, as was Yugi.

"What was that about?" Yami asked as soon a she was breathing normally.

"I promised you a kiss didn't I?" Yugi replied back, pushing Yami away, only to grab his hand.

"Oh yeah, you did, didn't you?" Yami said back in a slight daze allowing Yugi to pull him into the kitchen.

"If there's one thing you should know about me Yami it's that I don't do things halfway, unless I'm uncomfortable with it." Yugi said pushing him into a chair, and taking the one that was right next to him.

Yami looked down to see that they were eating pizza with hot dogs on them. Yami looked back up at Yugi, with a slight smile on his face.

"Very romantic." Yami said looking at Yugi.

"I thought so." Yugi responded, meeting Yami's look.

The two boys enjoyed each other's company as they just sat there eating their hot dog pizza in silence. Neither of them knew of the very frustrated person on the other side of town, wrapping a gift that they were planning on sending to Yugi next week, as a warning to keep his mouth shut.

**Let the romance between our primary characters begin, and yeah a lot of you are probably thinking , 'It's about time Midnight.' Well all I have to say to those people is...yeah you're probably right. Oh, in case some of you were wondering Yugi got his jelly beans but choked on them too, so we're going to work on the one at a time rule over here before we give him any more sugary stuffs. Anyway to the guests: visitor here are your 23 jelly beans, Gothicwings94 here are your 23 jelly beans, YugiFanP3 here are your 23 jellybeans, and Guest here are your 23 jelly beans, thanks for reviewing! Everyone else who didn't get jelly beans there's a pot [points to a big black cauldron] you get 23 each, enjoy! Thanks to everyone who have/are favorited/folloing this story. Please review without using vulgarity. Midnight ;p Yami, grab Yugi before he gets to the pot of jelly beans would you?**

**Yami: [swings Yugi over his shoulder] got him!**

**Let's roll!**


	25. Sweet and Salty

**This chapter is sweet and salty. Oh, and I started a new story too, it's called The Demon's Crew. It's gang related not demon and angel related. Right, I do not own Yugioh, enjoy! [YAMI, _YUGI_] **

Chapter 25

Yami woke up the next day to someone kissing him in a very persistent way. Yami just sat there for a minute enjoying the sensation before kissing Yugi back. However this only got him an indignant noise and a slap across his right cheek.

"You know Yami, if you would just wake up to the alarm in the same way that you did the first morning it went off, I wouldn't have to go to such extremes to wake you up." Yugi said climbing off him and placing his feet back on the floor.

"Actually I enjoy being woken up like that." Yami said rubbing his cheek with one hand and propping himself up with the other.

"You enjoy being slapped?" Yugi asked in disbelief.

"Err, no, the kissing part is what I enjoyed." Yami responded back.

"Hmm, be good and you might receive some more. Come on time to get ready for school." Yugi said a small smile playing about his lips.

"What?" Yami asked as Yugi began to walk out of the room.

"I said it's time to get ready for school." Yugi said over his shoulder before walking into the bathroom across the hall.

"That's not what I was talking about." Yami muttered under his breath as he climbed off of Yugi's floor.

Considering the fact that the two boys only had 20 minutes to get out of the door, they did pretty well getting ready. The only thing they didn't accomplish before running out the door was making lunches, so they would be eating cafeteria food.

When the two walked into their homeroom, and sat down, Yugi was quite surprised by all the whispering going on. This was quite unusual for his homeroom, and it immediately put him on edge. Well at least until someone called out his name from the doorway.

"Hey Mutou! Mai says she wants to talk to you!" a random classmate called across the room to him.

Yugi looked up to see that Mai Valentine was indeed standing by the doorway. She gave him a small wave, and what appeared to be a polite smile. Yugi got up, whatever was going on, it was better to nip it in the bud before things got out of hand.

"I'll be right back, stay here Yami." Yugi said before making his way over to her.

As soon as he was out of the classroom, he shut the door. He didn't need anyone getting the wrong idea, or listening in.

"What is it Mai? What do you want?" Yugi asked getting straight to the point.

"I heard about the car accident. Are you alright?" Mai asked back.

"I'm just peachy about it. What do you want?" Yugi asked again.

"All right, are you and Yami _really_ dating?" Mai asked skeptically.

"Is that _really_ any of your business?" Yugi countered.

"Are you?" Mai asked in an incredulous voice.

"Is that a problem?" Yugi asked right back.

"What!? But you _can't_!" Mai almost yelled back at him.

"Says who? Psycho? Look Mai, the safest place for Yami is _next_ to me. I'm not letting him out of my sight. Not like I did Rebecca. You tell your twin to stay away from us!" Yugi said several different emotions passing through his voice.

"You know I can't control her any more than I can control what you do." Mai replied with a hint of venom in her voice.

"Well can you give me two weeks then? That's all I need is two weeks, that's it." Yugi pleaded a bit.

"Just two?" Mai asked uneasily.

"Yes, only two weeks that's it, I promise. I will create a solution for everyone in two weeks time. By next Friday, hopefully, we can put this whole messy affair behind us." Yugi assured her.

"Okay, but only until next Friday. I will try to get you all the time you need but no guarantees. Good luck, Yugi." Mai conceded before making to walk away.

"Keep the luck; you'll need it more than I do for dealing with Psycho." Yugi responded, placing his hand on the classroom doors handle.

"Hey Yug', why do you call her that?" Mai asked curiosity creeping into her voice.

"It's easier to ignore the fact that she actually exists, if she doesn't have a name." Yugi said back in a resigned voice.

Mai just nodded and walked off. Yugi in turn took a deep breath to steady himself, and released it slowly to open the door. It was no surprise to Yugi to see a few students still scrambling to sit in their desks when he walked it. He simply shook his head, and walked over to stand in front of Yami.

Yugi knew no one would believe it if they didn't see it with their own eyes. So without so much as a warning, Yugi tilted Yami head up and crushed his lips to Yami's. Yami gave a surprised yelp, before Yugi was pulled off of Yami by the back of his school jacket. He turned his head to look at the person who had grabbed him. His eyes connected with his slightly amused homeroom Sensei's.

"Detention, after school today Mr. Mutou, for PDA in my classroom." Houtuo Sensei said, barely containing his own smile.

"Eh, it was worth it." Yugi said back casually, shrugging his shoulders.

"Take your seat." Houtuo Sensei said rolling his eyes, and grinning slightly.

"What was that about?" Yami asked in a whisper from behind him.

"Ssshhh, we're in class." Yugi responded.

**What was that about?**

**_If you're going to be my boyfriend we have to keep up an appearance. Besides, you're a good kisser, last night proved that much. _**

**Well, you're not so bad yourself, you know.**

**_Malik would be very pleased to know that his teaching skills paid off. _**

**Sorry, what? Malik taught you how to kiss?**

**_Yeah, Malik taught me and Ryou both how to. It was about a month before the incident that you're still writing about happened. Oh, here comes Karu Sensei._**

**I don't know that kind of looks like Mira.**

**_Mira's subbing? Oh, this day is going to be great!_**

**Wait, because Mira's subbing? What's subbing?**

**_A substitute teacher, she's the substitute teacher as well as the detention monitor. She's been offered better positions because the students love her so much, but she's declined every single one for some reason._**

**Hmm, I think she's trying to get your attention Yugi.**

"Yes Mira?" Yugi asked, with a bright smile on his face.

**You don't miss a beat, do you?**

**_Nope!_**

"So he actually managed to hook the elusive fish named Yugi Mutou?" Mira said pointing Yami behind Yugi.

"Well, you know me, I can't resist a good kisser, and he has some excellent kissing skills." Yugi replied back in the same type of voice Mira was using.

Yami, for some reason, got the feeling that they were making some kind of a joke at his expense. Though, he couldn't pinpoint how, because they were giving him compliments. That didn't mean he felt any less insulted somehow.

**Are you insulting me Aibou?**

**_Who me? Never! I would _****never****_ do that!_**

**I think you're lying!**

**_And I think you're hearing things._**

**Only you.**

**_Well aren't you sweet?_**

**There you go, using that tone again!**

**_What tone? I don't have a clue as to what you could possibly be talking about._**

**It sounds similar to when you're being sarcastic, but you're not using sarcasm.**

**_Must be something else then, huh?_**

**Yugi…**

**_Yami…_**

"Ahem! Yugi, is he your boyfriend or isn't he?" Mira asked in annoyed tone, jerking Yugi out of the conversation with Yami.

"Oh, he definitely is, or can you not see the collar on him that says Owned Property?" Yugi asked reaching back and laying the collar of Yami's jacket down, so everyone could see.

Yami flushed with embarrassment, as everyone's eyes focused in on the collar around his throat, which Yugi had forced upon him that morning. And Yami meant that _literally_, Yugi had _literally_ forced Yami down on the ground, and strapped the thing on for him. Despite his protests Yugi had won by distracting him with a kiss. So by the time Yugi pulled away, Yami was branded, and he had very willingly let Yugi do so, but only because he was distracted.

**_Ah, you liked it._**

"Yugi, I can't see it." Malik said from behind Yami.

"Sit with us at lunch then, because you're going to be behind Yami most of the day anyway. I really don't think he's going to turn around either, just to let the people behind him see." Yugi said with laughter leaking out of his voice.

"I'm not show and tell Yugi." Yami said sternly, moving the collar of his jacket back up, to hide the collar itself.

"No, but your punishment for this weekend is." Yugi replied with a strange glint in his eyes as he turned to look at Yami.

**I don't even want to know what that glint in your eyes mean.**

**_Probably for the best that you don't._**

**In that case, tell me.**

**_Nope!_**

After Mira's class the rest of the day was pretty uneventful, well excluding lunch of course. That was when Yami got to know more _people_ than he did his _food_. The food being the thing he actually _did_ want to get acquainted with, but never seemed to get the chance. He was just about to dig into something called a Cheeseburger, when Yugi grabbed his arm saying lunch was over and they needed to head to class. Yami was highly disappointed and very hungry as he trudged to the next class they had together, History, with Hino Sensei.

After History it was Gym for Yami and Study Hall for Yugi. They parted ways in the hall as soon as Honda showed up, strangely enough. Honda hadn't seemed to care about Yami when Yugi _wasn't_ here, so why the change in heart all of a sudden? Yami didn't have to wait long for his answer.

"Heard you ran into Rebecca at lunch, and didn't give her a mean look. So I guess I'll tell you my story tomorrow, but it'll have to be after detention, sorry." Honda said casually, like it was no big deal, but his voice said more.

"Or we could do it during detention, considering I have it too." Yami said back.

"Yeah, okay, that'll work better actually." Honda said.

"So tomorrow, detention, it's a deal?" Yami asked, sticking out his hand.

"Tomorrow, detention, it's a deal." Honda said back, grasping it firmly and shaking it.

This just left to Yami to wonder about how detention with Marik was going to be today. Only, now Yugi really was thrown up into the mix. Yugi must have known he would get a detention for kissing him in class, and it made him wonder how long Yugi had been planning it. He'd have to ask him later.

Yami was the last one to make it to the detention room, and was surprised to see that Yugi and Marik had beaten him. Then again, they had been going to this school longer than he, so he guessed he shouldn't have been that surprised. He just signed in, and took the seat next to Yugi. There was an awkward silence filling the room for a couple of seconds before Marik broke it.

"So Yugi, is the collar on Yami a punishment for those fading love bites on yours?" Marik asked, attempting to sound casual, but failing miserably; especially with that wolfish grin on his face.

The door opened before Yugi could respond making all three turn to look at who was there. They were surprised to find that it was Mira. Though, for some reason she looked disappointed that they had actually shown up.

"Go home, the lot of you, I'm tired." This was all she said as she turned to walk out the door.

"But-" Yami started to say.

"HOME!" Mira said whipping around, and pointing out the door.

All three ran out of the room as Mira shut it on Marik's heels, nearly clipping them. Mira was in a bad mood, though none of them knew what had caused it. Nor did they want to find out either.

Yugi and Yami split ways with Marik at the gates to the school, and Yami and Yugi enjoyed a nice peaceful walk home. They talked about random snippets of this and that. Just things about their likes and dislikes, so they could seem more like a couple to the outside world around them. Yugi was surprised at how much he missed talking to another person around his own age instead of his Grandpa all the time.

He found himself laughing and smiling, something hadn't done in several years. So by the time they had reached the Game Shop, he was crying with Yami having absolutely no idea as to why he was. Nor did he tell Yami; instead he just let the other hold and rock him to sleep on the couch, all the while whispering sweet nothings in his ear.

As soon as Yami felt Yugi go limp in his arms, he shifted him and picked him up. Yami had no idea as to why Yugi had just started crying all of the sudden. One minute he was laughing, the next crying. It had confused him beyond belief, especially when Yugi wouldn't even say why.

Yami carried Yugi up to his room where he tucked the both of them into Yugi's bed. Though, he didn't know what was going on with him, he wasn't going to leave Yugi alone when he seemed to be in such a vulnerable state.

That night, neither had gotten a better sleep then they had in each other's arms. Yugi felt the entire night as if he was sleeping in the safest place in the world. Yami was just happy that he could hold Yugi without being pushed away. They were both in their happiest place.

**See? Sweet and salty. Okay, thank you to everyone who have/are favorited/following this story. Also thanks to everyone who reviewed Guest and User alike. Don't forget to read The Demon's Crew. Please review. Swear...don't swear...don't care anymore, just review. Midnight ;p**


	26. Honda's part

**Right after a long time of writing Honda's part is finally here! And it's only...13 pages long!...Wow that's a lot of pages. Right, I do not own Yugioh, or Trix, enjoy!** [_FLASHBACK_]

Chapter 26

The next morning Yugi woke up to find his face in someone's chest and arms wrapped around his waist. Yugi opened his eyes and waited until his vision focused to find himself nestled into Yami's arms. Yugi wasn't complaining; it would be easier to wake Yami up this way. All he had to do was place his hands firmly against the other's chest, and push.

_Thump! Groan._

"Again Yugi, there are easier ways to wake me up." Yami said from the floor as he looked up to see Yugi's head poking out from on top of the bed.

"That may be, but this was more convenient, for me." Yugi said resting his head on his hands before rolling over and out of bed.

Yugi started to walk over to the bedroom door so he could get to the bathroom, only to have Yami block his exit by suddenly appearing in front of him. Yugi came to a halting stop, and turned to look behind him to see the blanket just falling to the floor. Yugi turned back to Yami with a questioning look in his eyes.

"How do you do that?" Yugi asked utterly bewildered.

"The puzzle, it allows me to take a shortcut to wherever you are, but I always appear in front of you no matter what." Yami stated pointing to the puzzle around Yugi's neck, before picking him up and throwing him over his shoulder.

"Hey put me down!" Yugi said pounding on Yami's back a little more gently then he would have a week ago.

"No, we need to talk about last night." Yami said placing Yugi back on his bed.

"We can talk on the way to school." Yugi said trying to get back up.

"I don't think so. Knowing you, you'll try to avoid it." Yami said pushing him back down on the bed again.

"Know me? Oh, no, you don't know me." Yugi asked with disbelief before stating something with what appeared to be sadness and regret in his voice.

"Just tell me about last night Yugi, why were you crying?" Yami asked in earnest.

"Because that was the first time I had laughed like that in three years. It felt so good, but it reminded me of when the gang was together and it hurt so much suddenly. It hurt so much to know that I hadn't laughed in three years, it just hurt. I felt so alone, with so much regret at pushing my friends away, when I needed them the most. I know I hurt Malik the most too, because him and I, we were tighter than two pieces of twine in the same rope. We grew up together, Rebecca, him and I. I had to push him away, I had to push them all away, it was the only way to keep them safe, and it's worked for so long, but now I just want them back. I want to hangout like out like we used too, but I also know that that is an impossible feat, it can never be as it once was." Yugi said with so much sadness and regret in his voice that Yami couldn't help but reach out and hold him in his arms.

Yugi leaned into the touch for a little bit, before he tried to pull out of the embrace. Yami's arms tightened around him, unwilling to let him go. This just made Yugi struggle more.

"Please Yugi, please don't push me away." Yami whispered into Yugi's ear.

"That's not my intention Yami. It's just that you're pressing on my bladder and I have to go." Yugi said uncomfortably squirming even more.

"Oh." Yami said releasing him.

Yugi bolted out of Yami's arms and raced into the bathroom, barely making it on time. Yugi then took a shower, got out, brushed his teeth, dried and combed through his hair, washed his face, and then opened the door to walk out of the bathroom. He was met with Yami dancing the jig.

"FINALLY!" Yami exclaimed pushing past Yugi and slamming the door against his back.

"You should've knocked if you had to go so bad." Yugi said through the door.

He was met with a grumbled response. Chuckling Yugi went across the hall to his own room where he shut the door to get dressed. When he came out of his bedroom he smelt smoke and headed down to the kitchen to see Yami burning eggs.

"AH! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Yugi shouted making Yami jump.

"Making breakfast." Yami said simply like it as the most obvious thing in the world.

"NOT LIKE THIS YOU'RE NOT! SIT!" Yugi yelled rushing over and grabbing the pan out of Yami's hand.

Yugi turned off the burner and began to scrape the eggs out of the pan and into the trash. Yami watched with a scowl on his face. When Yugi was done he turned to Yami with a forced smile on his face.

"Now, let's try something a little simpler, okay?" Yugi asked in a strained voice.

"Fine." Yami muttered.

Yugi got out two bowls, spoons, and glasses, and put them on the table. He then got out the Trix cereal, milk, and juice, and placed all the items on the table. Yugi sat down next to Yami and smiled at him.

"I doubt you can get making cereal wrong, so go for it! Make us some breakfast!" Yugi said smiling brightly.

Yugi should have made the cereal too it seemed. Apparently because Trix was a _fruity_ cereal it meant that it went best with the fruit punch juice he had pulled out. That meant it was more realistic for them to be drinking the milk instead of juice. Yugi was less then amused as he placed both of their lunches in their backpacks.

"I still don't know what you're so mad about, they were both fruits, and it didn't taste that bad." Yami said as they were walking out the front door.

"Milk and cereal is a combination that you don't mess with. Juice being drunk with the milk and cereal is another one of those things you don't mess with." Yugi tried to explain for the fifth time that morning.

"Still didn't taste that bad." Yami grumbled. Yugi just sighed and shook his head.

"Let's not fight, okay? I really don't want to fight with you." Yugi said trying to stop the fight before it began.

"Okay, we won't fight." Yami said smiling a bit and slinging an arm around Yugi's shoulders.

Yugi looked at the arm around his shoulders, before wrapping his left arm around Yami's waist. He supposed that he might as well as get used to this, after all they were boyfriends now. Touching came with the territory in a relationship.

Yugi and Yami made it school early that day, which surprised Yugi immensely. He hadn't thought that they had left that early, but apparently they had. Walking onto the school grounds they ran into Marik and Malik, who were wrapped around each other in the same way they were. Yugi unraveled his arm from around Yami, grabbed his hand off his shoulder, and made his way over to them dragging Yami behind him.

"Hey Marik, I just realized I never answered your question yesterday. So, yes, the collar is a punishment for the fading marks on my own." Yugi said as soon as they were in an arm's reach of the two.

"Really? How many collars do you have for him anyway?" Marik asked the wolfish grin back on his face as he pulled Malik around to be in front of him, where he wrapped his arms securely around his waist.

"Three, but he's only allowed to wear two of them for this week, the more degrading ones that is." Yugi replied feeling more than seeing Yami do the same to him.

"So I take you two have been dating since yesterday?" Marik asked.

"Do you miss anything Marik?" Yugi asked with annoyance.

"Not much." Marik replied.

"Yugi, why are talking to us?" Malik asked suddenly.

"Malik!" Marik reprimanded.

"No it's okay, Marik. I mean he has a fair point. I guess it's because yesterday talking with Yami made me realize how much I missed your company, well everyone's company." Yugi said looking at his and Yami's feet, and scuffing the ground with his one foot.

Seeing this, gave Yami a sudden idea. He knew it probably wouldn't work out, but it was worth a shot none the less.

"Do you guys mind keeping Yugi company while I'm in detention with Honda today?" Yami asked looking at Malik, not Marik.

"Not at all." Malik responded receiving the unspoken message easily.

"What? But Yami, I wanted to spend time with you." Yugi said trying to use subtle puppy dog eyes on him.

"No buts Yugi, you're hanging out with them today after school okay?" Yami said placing a hand over Yugi's eyes, blocking his attempt.

"Okay." Yugi said removing Yami's hand from his eyes.

Marik and Malik looked like gaping fish staring at the two of them. Malik was thinking why didn't we ever do that to Yugi when he was using his subtle puppy dog eyes? While Marik was thinking that was well played, I've gotta try that on Malik some time.

"You're going to catch some flies with those open traps of yours." Yugi commented making the two shut their mouths pretty quickly.

"Right, so we'll pick you up at the Library Yugi, stop by detention so you can say bye to Yami, and then grab Kaiba and Jou and go to the mall to spend Kaiba's money. Sound good?" Malik asked with a small smile on.

"Sounds good, I like spending Kaiba's money. Though, when we're at the mall, you're going to have to show me that store Black Dreams and Wicked Nightmares, because apparently I liked that store." Yugi said smiling a tiny bit a Malik.

"Have you used the whips yet?" Malik asked, knowing Yugi probably hadn't touched the bags since he first saw them.

"I bought whips?" Yugi asked in a deadpanned voice.

"Yep, about 20 different kinds too." Malik said his smile growing a bit.

"I don't even _want_ to know what I had in mind with them." Yugi said looking a bit afraid.

"One can only guess." Malik replied looking up at Yami slyly.

Yugi looked up at him too, only to look back down groaning. Yugi knew exactly what he would have had in mind for Yami three years ago. All of it would have been entertaining, for _him_, not so much for Yami.

"So how good of a kisser is Yugi, Yami?" Marik asked as more students started to enter the school grounds.

"Malik was a _really_ good teacher, thank you." Yami said with much appreciation in his voice.

"We better move this conversation elsewhere, lest you want people listening in on it." Yugi said looking around at some of the students that were pausing to look at them curiously.

"Yeah we should probably all head to class." Malik chimed in.

"Well then, let's go!" Yugi said jolting out of Yami's arms to grab Malik's hand and race off to the school building half dragging Malik with him.

"Huh, he's actually going to try to make this as comfortable for everyone as humanly possible, isn't he?" Marik said watching the two with pure wonderment on his face.

"So, this is normal?" Yami asked.

"You mean Yugi dragging his slightly taller friends around? Yeah, that's as normal as it gets. Though, I'm not sure to how Yugi will react to being around Jou for more than an hour. That should be interesting to watch, or break up." Marik said with a laugh before his tone dropped down into a more worried one.

"What do you mean?" Yami asked looking up at him slightly.

"Eighth grade, Yugi, Jou, Malik, and Kaiba were in a study group together. Bakura, Ishizu, Mason and I, were two tables away. A fight broke out between Yugi and Jou, from what we heard Jou was begging Yugi for forgiveness, and Yugi was being as stubborn as a Honda in giving it to him. Eventually Yugi got so fed up with Jou being latched onto his leg that he tried to punch him in the temple. Bakura and I had gotten up already and were heading over so Bakura was able to catch the punch while I tore Jou off of Yugi's leg. The minute Jou was off Yugi; Yugi ripped his fist out of Bakura's grip and bolted, grabbing his bag on the way, for the nearest exit. I'd never seen Yugi resort to violence, ever. It even made Kaiba scared, and that's saying something, because he's usually only scared of me." Marik explained to Yami, as the two started to head towards the building as well.

"Yes, why is Kaiba scared of you? Yugi said it had something to do with a prank." Yami asked Marik and then explained a little of what he knew, which wasn't much.

"Haha, I'll tell you some other time, but right now, I have to get to class and so do you." Marik said as he ran to get Malik from Yugi who attempting to get him to let go of a pole that he had wrapped his arms around for some reason.

"What happened?" Yami heard Marik ask.

"Apparently he wants _you_ to walk him to class, not me." Yugi replied back in a strained voice.

Marik could be heard laughing as Malik detached himself from the pole and latched onto his boyfriend. Yugi watched the two walk off before turning to Yami, who was a few feet away, and offering a hand out to him. Yami jogged up to Yugi and grabbed, and the two headed to first period hand in hand.

[Time skip]

Yami walked into the detention room with Honda to find Yugi, Marik, Malik, Jou, and Kaiba waiting for them. Yugi immediately ran over to Yami and hugged him, while whispering in his ear.

"It's about time, Kaiba was getting impatient. I'll see you at home around five, okay?" Yugi whispered in Yami's ear.

"Okay, I'll see you then, Aibou." Yami figured he could get away with calling him that now, since they were dating and all.

Yugi and Yami shared a brief kiss, before Yugi left. Yami felt a little uneasy watching him leave, but he knew that his friends would look after him. Or at least he hoped they would.

"Alright Yami, let's get this over with." Honda said signing in.

"Right, but first, why does everyone use the expression 'as stubborn as a Honda'? You don't seem that stubborn to me." Yami asked curiously as he too signed in.

"Oh, it's because I don't like giving my story to anyone who believes Jou before I confirm that Rebecca was telling the truth. Look you'll hear soon enough, so let's get it over with okay?" Honda said impatiently.

"Fine, whatever floats your boat." Yami responded while putting his hands up in surrender.

"Right, you already know about the whole three years ago seventh grade bit, so here's my part of the tale. Yugi had come to me and Malik earlier in the day and said he was going to confess his feelings for Rebecca to her." Honda said looking at Mira who was reading a magazine.

_"Are you sure that's a good idea Yug'? I mean you've been friends for years, what if she doesn't even want to be your friend anymore?" Malik asked Yugi after he had told them of his plans._

_"Well, yeah it's a risk, but one I'm willing to make. If I don't tell her, I'll always wonder what if? I'm going to tell her today." Yugi explained back._

_"Well good luck Yug'!" Honda said clapping Yugi on the back._

_"Thanks Honda, I sure hope she'll still want to be my friend even if she doesn't feel the same way." Yugi said with a small smile before walking off to find Rebecca._

"I found Jou later and told him the good news." Honda said.

_"Hey Jou, Yugi just told Malik and I that he's going to tell Rebecca how he feels for her, __today__." Honda told over lunch._

_"It's about time in my opinion; he's only been talking about doing it for two weeks now." Jou said back._

_"Yeah, but do you think Rebecca feels the same way? I mean it seems to me like she's been avoiding Yug' most of the day."Honda said back._

_"Guess it's just one of those wait and see type of things." Jou replied back._

"The next day was very confusing; I heard that Malik and Yugi had appeared to be fighting in front of the school gates about something. They apparently yelled at one another for a good two minutes before they realized they were yelling about the same thing; and neither one of them knew anything _real_ about it. I finally heard from a fellow classmate what they were fighting about, something to do with a rumor saying they were dating. Yugi found me by the lockers a day before the roof incident, and I confronted him about it." Honda said who seemed to have a habit of talking with his hands by the way that he was moving them with certain words.

_"Hey Yugi, is it true that you and Malik are dating? Did you change your mind about confessing to Rebecca, or were you planning to confess to Malik all along?" Honda asked a little bit of anger leaking through into his voice._

_"I don't know what you're talking about Honda. I told __Rebecca__ I liked her. She told me she didn't feel the same way, but she didn't want to ruin our friendship either, so was there some way we could work things out. I said yes, because I would rather have a friendly relationship with her, than not have one at all. I don't know where these stories are coming from and Malik is just as confused as I am." Yugi said to Honda as they were walking to Yugi's locker _

_"You think maybe someone heard you wrong Yug'? Like maybe they only caught the tail end of your conversation?" Honda asked stopping at Yugi's locker with him._

_"Well, if they did, I wouldn't know how they got Malik mixed up in the picture. I was clearly with a girl with bright blonde hair, not sandy blonde. I mean Malik's hot and all, but I just don't swing in his direction of type, and I __know__ I don't swing in his. It's dead obvious that Malik likes Marik and vice versa, but with this rumor going around, Marik's backed off. Everyone knows that Marik won't go after someone who's taken, but that's kind of the problem, because Malik __isn't__ taken, least of all by me. I just wish I knew where this rumor originated from. Come on Honda we better hurry or Malik's going to throw a fit if we're late to the Library, __again__." Yugi said talking intensely with Honda, who noticed that Anzu didn't even say hello to them. Not even a nod in their direction._

_"Do you think you'll be able to stop this rumor? I mean it's been alive for two days now." Honda asked as they ran through the hallways to the Library._

_"It'll probably take a lot of work, but all things die with time. Come on we need to find our dramatic partner." Yugi said back as the two walked into the Library._

_"Huh, dramatic indeed." Honda said back with a smile on his lips._

"Yugi, Malik and I spent the rest of the afternoon getting our project finished. It was probably a good thing too, because Yugi was put in the Hospital for two weeks after that. Yugi said to me just the day before the roof incident that _'all things die with time'_, I guess even friendships can do that too. Anyway, Jou and I were walking to Burger World later in the afternoon, and I told him what I had heard from Yugi." Honda said again motioning a lot with his hands.

_"Yugi says he doesn't know where the rumors are coming from Jou, but he and Malik aren't dating. He confessed to Rebecca not Malik, but both Yugi and Malik are trying to get to the bottom of this and fast. Word has it that its reached Marik's ears already, and everyone knows he won't go after someone who's taken. Though that's kind of the problem that Yugi's facing, because Malik isn't taken, least of all by him. Least that's what Yug' told me by our lockers this morning. Anzu acted weird when we passed by though too, she didn't even say hi as we were passing. She just let us pass by; she didn't even glance up, not once."Honda told Jou as they were making their way to the local burger restaurant._

_"Really? That's pretty unusual for her, but you know Ryou said he heard from Anzu that she saw with her own eyes that Yug' asked Malik out."Jou said with a slight uneasiness in his tone. Almost like, he was just discovering a potentially harmful chemical, amongst all the safe ones._

_"You don't think there was a possibility that she liked Yugi, do you?" Honda asked Jou carefully turning towards him._

_"Who doesn't like Yug'? I've heard most of the girls at our school wishing that their own boyfriends could either be just __like__ him or __him__ one day."Jou responded back bluntly._

_"Good point. So Anzu was jealous perhaps, and she started a rumor out of hurt about two of her friends? That sounds a little overreaching, even for Anzu." Honda said trying to make sense of it._

_"True, but we're not girls man, and there is that old saying too. How does it go again, 'hell hath known no fury then that of a woman scorned'? I think that's it." Jou said looking up at the sky._

_"Yeah, but to potentially harm her __own__ relationship with Yugi, that's a bit sick don't you think?" Honda asked in a quick dismissal, somewhere inside he knew that Jou was making sense, he just wasn't ready to accept it quite yet._

_"Well let's put you in her shoes." Jou said._

_"Why me?" Honda asked._

_"Cause I'm taken and you're not. Remember money bags asked me out last weekend, the same day I actually __did__ manage to eat him out of house and home?"Jou responded with a slight smile on his face._

_"Oh yeah, he did, didn't he? Right after he yelled at you and then kissed you I believe. It sure left everyone else speechless enough for him to get it out to the silent room, before it broke out with everyone cheering for you both."Honda said, laughing at the memory._

_"Yeah, but anyway, suppose you heard Mai Valentine confessing to someone else, how would you respond?" Jou asked getting back to the problem at hand._

_"Well, I'd probably be upset, but I wouldn't start a rumor saying she was dating her best friend Vivian Wong, that's just mean." Honda responded back promptly._

_"Okay, but how would you respond if you were a girl?" Jou asked._

_"I don't know, I'm not a girl. Let's see if we can get your boyfriend to hack into the schools cameras and see what really happened two days ago." Honda said, turning around and going in the opposite direction of Burger World._

_"Hm, good idea, why didn't we think of that two days ago?" Jou asked walking after him._

_"Simple, we weren't thinking." Honda responded back._

"We ran all the way to Kaiba's mansion. I don't know what it is about that guy, but he never seems to have enough time for the rest of us, but when it comes to Yugi or Jou, he always seems to have plenty to spare. In any case, using Jou, we got in pretty quickly, and saw what had happened. Yugi confessed to Rebecca just like he said he had, and Anzu saw the worst part of it, the _hugging_ scene. Anzu ran away and bumped into Ryou, they talked briefly before Ryou ran off and into Jou. They talked for a longer period of time, before they ran off as well. It was when Kaiba was getting ready to shut down the program that Jou stopped him, and what we saw was an eavesdropper." Honda was still talking with his hands and Yami was finding it hard to write because he was so distracted by them.

_"Wait, Seto, I think I just saw something move in those bushes there." Jou said stilling Kaiba's hand before he could shut down the program._

_"What is it Mutt?" Kaiba asked looking at what Jou was pointing at._

_A figure was climbing out from behind the bushes, before it ran off, with its back towards the camera they were looking through. There was no way to see the figure from the front though, because it hopped one of the school's fences and ran off. Almost like it didn't want anyone or anything to see its' face._

_"Who was that?" Honda asked breaking the silence first._

_"No idea, but they're probably the one who spread it around the school. What I don't understand is why? Who would want to ruin our friends' friendship like that?" Jou asked no one in particular, he was just asking the question out loud._

_"I don't know, but who's going to tell Yugi that Anzu started the rumors?" Kaiba asked._

_"Maybe we just keep this to ourselves and it'll die down like all the rest have." Jou suggested, in a defeated type of tone._

_"No, I'm telling him tomorrow Jou, and that's the end of it."Kaiba said shutting down the school's cameras program, before closing his laptop shut._

_"All right, but just know that this will probably break up our friendship circle." Jou responded back in a half defeated half desperate voice._

_"I'm aware of the risk, Jou, but I'm also aware of the cost we might pay if we __don't__ tell him." Kaiba responded back lifting up his head and kissing him softly in on the lips._

_"As fun as it is watching you two kiss I need to get home to my mom, she's probably worried about me right now." Honda said backing out of the door._

_"Alright I'll have my driver give you a ride home." Kaiba responded looking at him._

_"I'll walk you out." Jou said as he made his way towards Honda._

_"Nah, it's fine, I know my way to the front door. See you at school tomorrow." Honda replied back with a wave, before making his way down to the front doors where Kaiba's limo was waiting for him._

"If I'd only known what horrors I would see the next day, I probably never would have gone. I figured that Kaiba would tell Yugi, and Yugi would try to explain it to Rebecca. Well those two things did indeed happen, but that's when everything went wrong too. I had been searching for Yugi and Malik because we had all promised to meet up to do some touchups on our project, after talking to a few people I was told they were on the roofs. So I headed up to the top most one, thinking I would find them there. What I did find, was something I'll never forget for the rest of my life." Honda had stopped using his hands to talk now, because he had noticed how distracting to Yami they were.

_Honda finally pushed the door to the top most roof open and walked over to the edge to see that he was adjacent to Yugi's and Malik's rooftops, but that's not what froze him instantly to the spot, what he was watching did. He saw Rebecca down on the ground of the roof that Yugi was going over the edge of, and Malik looking completely helpless on the other roof across from his. Honda watched as Rebecca got up from the ground and watched Yugi fall with what looked like stiff horror as Jou walked up just in time to see her. _

"I saw a flash of yellow fabric out of the corner of my eye and turned to look towards the door of the roof that Rebecca was on. I saw a portion of our girls school uniforms slip through the door and out of sight, and in the same motion I heard the door of my own roof slam. I whipped around but no one was there and I figured they had left, not come up. I ran into Ryou the next day, and that's when our entire friend group started to unravel before our eyes." Honda was talking and every once in a while he would start to move his hands before stopping again.

_"Ryou, Rebecca didn't push Yugi, it was someone else. Rebecca was on the ground of the roof top when Yugi was going over." Honda was trying in vain to make Ryou see what had really happened._

_"But Jou said he saw her push him over!" Ryou said back, though both of their voices were rising._

_"JOU DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING BUT YUGI GOING OVER! WHYARE YOU SPREADING MORE RUMORS ABOUT OUR FRIENDS, ISN'T THERE ENOUGH OF THOSE GOING AROUND?!" Honda was now yelling at Ryou gaining the attention of many students around them._

_"IF YOU WERE A REAL FRIEND HONDA YOU WOULD BE THE ONE TELLING EVERYONE WHAT YOU __REALLY__ SAW, AND NOT WHAT YOU __THINK__ YOU SAW!"Ryou shouted back._

_"I know what I saw, it is you who saw nothing Ryou. You're only useful for second hand information." Honda growled out at him, before walking away in a huff._

"My words weren't kind at all, and I sometimes wish I had never said them. I tried to see Yugi in the Hospital, but apparently he had asked for family visitation only. Meaning anyone who didn't have the last name Mutou wasn't getting in. Apparently Jou and Yugi had had a huge fight the day before, but Jou wasn't talking about it. So no one knew what it was about. I heard that the only one who didn't buy that was Malik and he tried to see him anyway. They too had a huge fight; I heard it was even bigger than Jou's and Yugi's. In the end Malik walked away, angry and in tears, while Yugi wouldn't even look at him. No one knows if he was crying too, but from how tight they were, I think that hurt him more than Rebecca rejecting him did. Remember how I said earlier, that Yugi told me _all things die with time_? Well, that's exactly what our friendship circle did, it died, and it took the time of two weeks to do so. When Yugi got back to school he was avoiding us like we were a plague he didn't want to catch. Though it wasn't just us, he also seemed to be avoiding Mai's friend, Vivian, they say those two are like twins in personality wise. I personally don't see it, but whatever, that's it, that's my part." Honda said clapping his hands together.

"Good, now go home, the both of you." Mira said making both boys look up at her.

"Mira, why were you in such a foul mood yesterday?" Yami asked curiously as he got up from his seat.

"I was grumpy because I lost a bet, and now I have to act like a cheerleader all weekend long. I don't do peppy and unnaturally cheerful very well. It's like she's trying to murder me or something." Mira whined.

"Have fun Mira!" Honda said as he walked out the door.

"Yeah, yeah." Was his response.

"I'll see you tomorrow, and I'll drag Yugi along too." Yami told her walking out the door too.

"Can't wait!" Mira shouted after him.

Yami made his way out of the school grounds and ran home, he was anxious to see Yugi. It was around six so he knew Yugi was already home. The minute he walked in the door to the house, he was bombarded by a small mess of limbs, almost making him go back down the stairs.

"Where've you been? You were supposed to be home at five, the same time as me. I was so worried that something bad had happened to you." Yugi cried into Yami's chest.

Yami felt as if he was doing an awful job at keeping Yugi happy, as this was the second time he was crying on his watch. Yami just awkwardly guided Yugi to the couch where he sat them both down. He pulled Yugi in his lap and started to rub his back.

"Have you eaten yet Aibou?" Yami asked quietly once Yugi had calmed down a bit.

"Mm-hm, we ate at the mall, well everyone but Kaiba did. He turned up his nose at the food, and everyone was sitting between Jou and I. I just can't forgive him, I'm not sure if I ever will be able to. It saddens me to know, I've lost one of my good friends, but what he allowed to happen was inexcusable." Yugi said sounding like he was going to cry again.

"Come on, get up, I need to eat." Yami said patting Yugi's arm gently.

"Okay, but Yami, can we sleep together again tonight? For some reason that I can't fathom, I feel safe in your arms. I promise I won't push you off tomorrow morning." Yugi asked in a feeble voice, which made Yami realize for the first time that Yugi had yet to look at him since he came home.

Reaching forward Yami gently tilted Yugi's head up to see what he was hiding. Yugi had a bandage on his face, on his right cheek. Had Yugi had that before he left to go to the mall, or was it after he came home from the mall?

"Yugi, who did this and when did they do it?" Yami asked in a strained calm whisper.

"I don't need a hero Yami." Yugi said pulling his head a way and getting off of Yami to walk up the stairs.

Yami heard Yugi's bedroom door shut, and then Yami got up too. He had every intention to call Marik, Malik, or Kaiba, and one of them had better talk if they wanted to see another day. He wanted to know who had hurt _his_ Aibou, and he wanted to know _now_.

**Okay I think I can post another chapter up for each of my stories before I go on vacation in eleven days, but don't quote me on that. While on vacation I'll have limited to no computer access, so don't expect any updates. If you want to see the exact time stream for my absence it's on my profile page under ATTENTION! Right then, thank you to all of those who are/have following/favorited this story. Also thanks to everyone who reviewed Guest and User alike. Please review, the more you review the faster I'll type the double day scene I've been dying to do, and the one ya'll have been dying to read since he first laid a hand on Yugi. [hint, hint, nudge, nudge] Midnight ;p**


	27. A suitable punishment

**And now...for the chapter...you all wanted...FIFTEEN CHAPTERS AGO! [sighs] Feels great to get that off my chest! Right, i do not own Yugioh, enjoy!** [PHONE SPEAK, **YAMI, **and **_YUGI_**]**  
**

Chapter 27

_Ring ring ring ring._

"Hello?" Malik voice answered on Marik's phone.

"Malik, I'm so glad you answered, I have a few questions for you, concerning Yugi?" Yami responded in a dangerously low voice.

"IT WASN'T ME!" Malik shouted on the other line.

Apparently he knew already knew why Yami was calling. So this would be easier than Yami thought it was going to be. It was very apparent that Malik had not only been expecting the call, but had been making himself nervous over it.

"What wasn't you, Malik? Are you referring to the bandage on Yugi's cheek? That wasn't you?" Yami asked the frazzled boy.

"He covered it up? Oh, that was smart!" Malik said in a voice that sounded like he was running a marathon.

"Covered what up? What's underneath the bandage Malik?!" Yami was starting to get impatient.

If Malik was this panicked, whatever Yugi had covered up couldn't be good. Yami could always find out by immersing Yugi's pain within himself, and then whatever the bandage was covering up would appear on his face too. After all, that's what Yami had done with Yugi's bruises and cuts while he was sleeping. Though, it would probably be better if he didn't, Yugi was just starting to trust him, he had yet to earn all of it though.

"Would you please stop harassing my boyfriend Yami? He's worried enough without you asking him questions." Marik's voice suddenly sounded in Yami's ear. He didn't even know when they had switched phones on him, or rather the person on the phone.

"If he would just answer my questions of who hurt Yugi, it wouldn't seem like harassment, now would it?" Yami argued back.

"Alright, _I'll_ tell you what you want to know." Marik said back in a slight surrendering voice.

"So get started already." Yami said after there was a moment of silence.

"So impatient." Marik teased lightly.

"Well when it comes to my Aibou, yeah, I'm going to be impatient!" Yami retorted back.

"Whoa, take it easy. Alright, Yugi had to use the bathroom and Malik went with him. The two were coming back out when they ran into Ushio and Bandit Keith. Apparently they asked where you were, and Yugi answered that you were in detention. Apparently to the two biggest bakas I've ever had the misfortune to meet, thought that meant Yugi was fair game. While Malik was taking down Bandit Keith Yugi ran like the wind back towards us to get help. He didn't make it; Ushio caught up to him and threw him against a wall. By the time Malik reached them, Yugi was pretty bruised up, and he had a giant gash from a knife on his right cheek. Yami, I'm _warning_ you if you let Yugi get hurt this Friday, I _personally_ will pummel you into the ground." Marik explained before his voice got dangerously low in a way that made even Yami proud of him.

"That won't be necessary, because those two won't be making it to see Friday." Yami growled back in a deadly whisper.

"You can't! Yugi made us promise not to tell you, something about you wanting to play hero. In my opinion though, if you want to play hero, go for it! Yugi _desperately_ needs one; no matter how much proclaims he doesn't." Marik's voice said frantically.

"So what do I do?" Yami asked in a frustrated voice.

"Keep him home tomorrow and send him to school on Friday." Marik said back.

"What?" Yami snapped back.

"Take care of those two, when you see them going after Yugi. Yugi won't stop you, he'll be too exhausted, but you make sure that they never lay another hand on him, _understand_?" Marik growled out.

"As clearly as a crystal shines in sunlight." Yami responded before hanging up, and making his way towards Yugi's room.

Yami was determined to see this mark on Yugi's face. He _needed_ to see it, but he also knew he couldn't while Yugi was awake. He'd have to wait until he was asleep, and then Yami would merge Yugi's pain within himself in that spot, and have his shadows heal all of it. There was no way he was going to let Yugi get any scars on that beautiful face of his.

When Yami walked into Yugi's room, Yugi wasn't in it, but his skylight was open. At first this seemed odd to Yami until he heard what sounded like footsteps from above him. Looking up, he heard some more, making Yami roll his eyes. Yugi was apparently on the roof, and it looked as if the skylight was the only option for getting up there.

Hoisting himself up onto Yugi's desk Yami tried to grab onto the skylight by jumping to it. This only got him a face plant on Yugi's floor due to the fact that he had missed the bed by a long shot. This time Yami decided to us the bed as leverage, and began to jump on it. After the third jump and getting no higher than his last one, he noticed Yugi watching him with amusement.

"You care to share how you got up there?" Yami asked while he just bounced on Yugi's bed, no longer attempting to jump.

Yugi just shook his head grinning broadly. He was having way too much fun watching Yami try all the wrong ways for getting up to the skylight, first by desk, and now by bed. He wondered how long it would take for Yami to notice that the chair was on its side and not standing up right.

"Fine, I'll let you enjoy this. Now let's see, how did you get up there?" Yami said jumping off the bed and looking around the room.

It took him a few spins before he noticed that the chair seemed to be missing. He wasn't even sure how that was possible, unless of course, it accidently somehow got into the Shadow Realm that would be bad. Yami quickly dove into the black corner of Yugi's room after it, not even noticing that he ran right past it.

Cocking his head slightly, when Yami disappeared, seemingly into thin air he got a wicked idea. Using the old fishing line he had up here from when he was a kid, and liked to steal the customers hats, Yugi lowered it down to the chair and started to pull it up. This would make it more entertaining for Yugi, to see Yami get up to the roof.

Yugi had just managed to pull it up over the edge, and out of sight, when Yami appeared back in the room. He appeared to be muttering to himself, so Yugi took the opportune moment to place the chair out of sight. He looked back into the room when he heard Yami call out his name questioningly.

"Just making sure you're still up there. I can't find your chair though, it isn't here." Yami said a confused voice.

"Well, I haven't seen it." Yugi said in a purposefully too casual voice.

"It's up there with you isn't it?" Yami asked in an 'I'm stupid' voice.

"Maaaaaybe!" Yugi reply drawing out the 'A' in the word.

"IT _IS_ UP THERE! Oh, I'm so coming to get it and you!" Yami exclaimed jumping on the bed and trying to jump up there again using that route.

"What was it again that you told me about this puzzle this morning Yami? It's a shortcut to me?" Yugi said after watching Yami jump and flail for the skylight for the 15th time.

Scowling Yami disappeared into a wisp of shadow, and headed straight for the puzzle. Yugi however was already prepared, and had the puzzle aiming straight back into the bedroom. When Yami appeared he found himself falling back into the room, landing with a plop on Yugi's bed again.

"That's not right." Yami said looking up at Yugi from the bed.

"No, but it sure is entertaining!" Yugi laughed back falling onto his back on the roof.

Yami rolled his eyes and tried the trick of the puzzle again. This time he found himself straddling Yugi's waist when he appeared. Though, he quickly got off at Yugi's painful gasp. Raising his shirt he found Yugi's almost pale skin, blacker than it had been before, two weeks ago. Looking up at Yugi he was met with fear filled eyes.

"Oh, Yugi, what did you ever do to deserve this?" Yami crooned to the boy scoping him up in a hug, and holding him close to his chest.

"You're not mad?" Yugi asked fearfully.

"Not at you Yugi, never at you." Yami whispered back.

[Time skip]

"Sennen, what are you doing here? I thought Marik told you to stay home with Yugi." Bakura said at lunch the next day.

"No he said for Yugi to stay home, not me." Yami said back taking another bite out of his cheese quesadilla.

"Hm, hand me one of those pepper packets Ryou. Well, you're going home, because you're sick." Bakura stated opening a pepper packet, pouring its contents into his hand, and blowing it into Yami's face

"I'-ACHOO! Wha-ACHOO!" Yami couldn't even finish a word thanks to Bakura's trick.

"See, you can't even speak you're so sick, you need to go home. I'll help you to the nurse's office." Bakura said getting up and grabbing one of Yami's arms and proceeded to drag him off.

"Why pe-ACHOO! Ma-ACHOO! Me sne-ACHOO!" poor Yami couldn't even speak.

Dropping Yami off in the nurse's office, he had to wait for Kaiba to come pick him up. Apparently sneezing every two seconds automatically got you a one way ticket home; and an excuse from any punishments for the rest of the week. As soon as Yami was in the limo and on his way back to the Game Shop, Kaiba questioned his sickness.

"Bakura, pepper?" Seto asked.

"ACHOO!" Yami nodded his head, since he couldn't speak.

"That's how he always gets out of school; you'd think Akiha Sensei would have caught on by now." Kaiba said as they pulled up in front of the Game Shop.

Yami got out waving to Kaiba as he drove off. Yami walked up the sidewalk and into the Game Shop. Then he walked up into Yugi's room, kicked off his shoes and laid down next to Yugi's sleeping form. Slipping his arms gently around Yugi, he pulled the boy closer.

"ACHOO!" Yami sneezed into the back of Yugi's neck.

"Bakura?" Yugi asked quietly in a tired voice.

"Mm-hm." was Yami's response.

"Have to thank him tomorrow, night Yami." Yugi yawned cuddling in closer to the other boy.

"Goodnight, Yu-ACHOO-gi." Yami said and sneezed back, making Yugi laugh quietly before his breathing evened out. It didn't take long for Yami's to do the same.

[Time skip]

"I'm slightly surprised that you're not making me stay home again." Yugi commented on their way to school.

"Why, was there a reason too?" Yami asked in a fake curios tone of voice.

"No, I'm just surprised is all." Yugi commented back a little too quickly.

"Oh, my shoelace. You go ahead, I'll catch up!" Yami said looking down at his shoe and bending to tie it back up.

"Oh, okay." Yugi said heading on his way again.

Yugi didn't know why, but for some reason Yami insisted that they leave for school an hour earlier than normal. He kept saying that he wanted to be sure that Yugi didn't strain himself with running all the way. Though, if Yami only knew how reluctant he was to really go to school this _early_ he was certain Yami would rethink it. Though, now, that Yami had told him to go ahead on his _own_, Yugi couldn't be _more_ _frightened_. He knew somewhere up here Ushio and Bandit Keith were waiting in the shadows for him.

Yugi started to walk more slowly, his breath getting heavier, as he passed each empty alleyway. Just when it seemed Yugi had gotten lucky and they weren't there, a hand grabbed him from behind and threw him into one of the walls of the alleyway.

"And here I thought that that Yami kid would be walking to school with you. It seems he's stupider than we thought him to be." Bandit Keith sneered down at him, stamping his foot on Yugi's already black abdomen.

Yugi exhaled in a painful gasp as the pain seared through him. Yugi couldn't help it, he couldn't stop them, maybe he needed a hero after all, maybe he needed…_Yami_.

**_YAMI! I'M SORRY! I DO NEED A HERO, PLEASE HELP ME!_**

**There's no need to shout Aibou, I'm right behind them.**

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, just because I'm not walking with him doesn't mean I'm not far behind. You know, I was told not to touch you two until today by many of Yugi's old friends. Though, now that it's the second Friday, I suppose you're free game. I have only one question for you before we begin though. What did he ever do to you, to deserve this?" Yami said in a casual tone before his tone became disgusted.

"He showed us a kindness we did not want." Ushio growled out.

"That's it?" Yami asked after a few seconds of silence.

Both nodded, before Bandit Keith stamped his foot down on Yugi's abdomen again, making him cry out. Ushio laughed, looking away from Yami to Yugi's writhing body on the ground. This was a mistake, and one Ushio wouldn't live to regret, Yami was going to make sure of it. With a simple snap of his fingers, he transported everyone but Yugi to the Shadow Realm. Yugi, he left with the Dark Magician, Kuriboh, and the Mystical Elf. They would look after him until Yami returned.

Yugi watched in amazement as not one but three of his duel monsters materialized out of thin air around him, first Kuriboh, then Mystical Elf, and lastly the Dark Magician. Yugi just stared before looking around to find Yami gone, as well as Ushio and Bandit Keith.

"Do not worry young Master; the Mystical Elf will heal you of your injuries." The Dark Magician's deep voice sounded in his head.

"Okay…Did you come from my card in my deck?" Yugi asked still a little confused.

"No, but we have missed you playing with us young Master." The Dark Magician chuckled out.

"Why did you stop?" the Mystical Elf asked in a lithe voice.

"I was scared; I was scared you'd be taken away from me too." Yugi said in little more than a whisper.

"By whom, young Master?" the Dark Magician asked.

Yugi just turned his head and refused to answer. It wasn't that he didn't trust them; it was just that he didn't trust them not to tell Yami. So he remained silent, like he had for the last three years, one more week wasn't going to kill him. Or at least he hoped it wouldn't.

Yami watched with sadistic amusement as the two taller males looked around in confusion and fear at the sudden change of their surroundings. Yami soon became bored with their reactions though, and using shadows as a rope bound Ushio high up in the air, so he could watch what was coming for him.

"You touched my host, my Aibou, my Hikari; this was a mistake, one you won't live to regret." Yami said advancing on Bandit Keith.

Bandit Keith tried to get away, but it was a useless attempt. Yami was already upon him, tearing him apart with his shadows, before delivering a mind crush upon his mind. Bandit Keith would forever be insane, thinking the shadows of the world were out to get him.

Yami got up and turned to Ushio's shaking body in the air, suspended only by the shadows holding him up. He snapped his fingers and watched Ushio fall, hitting the Shadow Realm's floor with a sickening crunch of bones. Yami smiled as he advanced on his next target, promising himself to take more time with this one.

Using more shadows as ropes, he tied Ushio down by his wrists and ankles, stretching them until they were stiff, and couldn't go any further, or the limbs would be ripped out of their sockets. Looming over him, Yami bent down and punched him in the gut, twenty times. Then using some shadow magic he made paper thin cuts all over Ushio's body. Though, none were in heavily bleeding spots, which would be too easy for the older male. Too easy of a way to die, that is, and Yami had no intentions of killing him. Using the shadows he made shapes of duel monsters, and sent them looming over Ushio, but he never let them touch him. Last Yami used a mind crush on him too, only his punishment was thinking that the duel monsters were coming to devour him.

Satisfied Yami released Ushio form his bonds after making each limb pop out of its socket, earning him a piercing scream, which sent pleasures trickling down his spine. Yami snapped his fingers once more transporting all of them back to the real world. Yami made sure to warn the Dark Magician of their coming, and to cover Yugi's eyes and ears, so he didn't see or hear anything. Yami didn't want to darken his light with such horrors, as the ones he had made.

It seemed his warning was unnecessary, as he reappeared to see the Mystical Elf rocking a sleeping Yugi. Yami had never seen him more content, even when sleeping in _his_ own arms. Smiling Yami opened a Shadow Portal and ushered them all inside. They appeared back in Yugi's room, where the Mystical Elf placed him upon his bed and covered him up with his blankets. Meanwhile, Yami was having a quiet conversation with the Dark Magician.

"He said nothing? He didn't even give you a name of the person he fears the most?" Yami asked in disbelief.

"No Master, he said nothing. He remained silent. When it appeared we were to get nothing out of him, the Mystical Elf picked him up and started to rock, and heal him at the same time." The Dark Magician responded back.

"I thought he would at least…Thank you for trying." Yami trailed off, before standing up straight and thanking the Dark Magician.

"You are most welcome, Master." The Dark Magician said before vanishing.

Yami looked over to Yugi to see the Kuriboh doing the same. Only the Mystical Elf remained; something that concerned Yami.

"Is he not healed all the way yet?" Yami asked concerned.

"No he is, physically, but mentally, he has many scars. I'm not sure if you will be able to mend all of them, but it can't hurt to try." The Mystical Elf responded in her lithe voice, before she too vanished.

"Oh, Yugi, what has the world done to you?" Yami whispered to the quite room.

**Six days till I'm gone ya'll, and I figured this was a good stopping point, I mean it's no big cliff hanger, so you guys can't hate me for being gone and not updating. Anyway, thanks to everyone who are/have following/favorited this story. Also thanks to everyone who reviewed User and Guest alike. Please review cause I'm giving out cookies to those who do. Midnight ;p**


	28. Kaiba's part

**Hmm, I amuse myself. This was supposed to be a short chapter, and yet it's 12 pages long, so much for short huh? well, I guess you guys deserve a long chapter considering how long I made you wait for it. I do not own Yugioh, enjoy.** [_FLASHBACK__**, YUGI, **_**and YAMI**]

Chapter 28

Yugi felt as if his eyes had only been closed for seconds before someone was calling his name softly, and shaking his shoulder at the same time. Yugi tried several times to open his eyes, but they felt like lead weights. His throat felt as if someone had poured sand down it, and all of his limbs ached as if he had just run the mile. He still tried to respond to the insistent voice trying to drag him from his unconscious state though.

"Yugi, come on, wake up, you're scaring me." Yami said give Yugi's shoulder another shake.

While Yugi had been unconscious Yami had transported them to an alleyway near the school. They wouldn't have been able to make it to school on time if he hadn't done so. Though now it seemed to be a waste of time, and energy to even do so, because Yugi wasn't responding to him, at all.

**Yugi, Yugi please, just give me some sign that you're alive. ****Please****. **

**_Ya…mi._**

The voice that Yami heard ring through his mind was so faint, he almost didn't hear it, almost. Yugi seemed to be trying to contact him, but he was somehow unable. This worried Yami, if Yugi couldn't tell or show him what was wrong, how was he supposed to take care of him?

**Yugi? Yugi can you answer me through the link?**

**_Yami it hurts._**

**Where?**

**_Every…where. It hurts, every…where. My throat is cov…ered in sand. My eyes won't op…en. My body won't move. Ya…mi I'm scared…_**

**Yugi? Yugi! No, don't slip away again, come on wake up! Wake up, wake up!**

_SMACK!_

Yugi was jolted awake by the stinging sensation in his right cheek. Before he could find out why though, he was engulfed in a suffocating, bone crushing, hug and his face was being peppered with kisses. Yugi was _so_ confused as to why Yami was acting like this.

"Ack! What's going on? Why are you attacking me with affection?" Yugi croaked trying and failing to push the other away slightly.

"Oh, Aibou, I thought I was going to lose you. You wouldn't wake up, it had me so worried." Yami said still littering Yugi's face with kisses, before looking the boy dead in the eye.

"I'm sorry. What happened to Ushio and Keith?" Yugi asked in a hoarse voice.

"I think it's best if I don't tell you what I did to those scum bags. The only thing you need to know is that they will never harm you again." Yami said pulling Yugi in close to his chest and taking a deep breath of the boy's hair.

Yugi pulled away from Yami and looked deep into his eyes. In Yami's eyes Yugi saw love, compassion, worry, and sorrow. Yugi wasn't sure what the sorrow was for, but he would worry about it later. Right now, Yugi needed to reward his hero. Still keeping eye contact with Yami, Yugi leaned in until their lips were touching. Yugi's eyes fluttered close a half a second after Yami's did.

The kiss was filled with passion and need from both sides. Though, neither made a move to deepen the kiss. It wasn't necessary, all the boys wanted to say was being said through this simple kiss of lips being pressed against lips.

_I care for you._

Yami pulled away from the kiss first, and gently guided Yugi to his feet as he too stood up. Putting an arm around Yugi's waist he began to lead him out of the alley and towards school. Yugi wrapped his arm around Yami's waist too, and that's how everyone saw the two making their way onto the school grounds that morning.

The two stayed within each other's reach the entire day, never leaving one another's sight. At lunch time Kaiba found the both of them curled up together under the cherry blossom tree on the school grounds. He couldn't stop himself from thinking that the two somehow just seemed almost _too_ perfect for one another. Like the two were destined to be with one another, and that was the reason why Yugi had _really_ been able to solve the Millennium Puzzle. Not because he was good at games, because he was, but because Yugi was meant to be with this man for all eternity.

Shaking himself out of his thoughts, Kaiba approached the two lovers, to have a word with Yami. Hopefully in private, but from the way that Yugi was curling himself around Yami, due to his approach, it didn't look like that was happening.

"Can I have a word with you Sennen?" Kaiba asked as soon as he was in front of them.

"No, Kaiba, Yami and I just want to be together today. I'll show him the way to Kaiba corp. tomorrow, and you can tell him your part then." Yugi said quietly before Yami could even open his mouth to respond.

Kaiba just nodded his head, and walked away. He knew better then to contradict Yugi when he was using his quiet voice. If you tried, you were hit with puppy dog eyes, and a teary voice. Kaiba had no interest in being whipped by anyone other than his mutt of a boyfriend, so he left the two lovers be, and went off to find said mutt. It had been a while since they had shared lunch together; just the two of them, and seeing Yami and Yugi kind of made him want to do something romantic for Jou. Perhaps dinner tomorrow night, at a higher class restaurant, yes that would be perfect.

Yugi and Yami walked home that day hand in hand, neither one of them caring about anything that was going on in the world around them, they only had eyes for the one next to them. Walking into the house, the two sat down on the sofa and Yugi dialed for Chinese. He thought a change in their menu of eating out was in order. Yugi ordered the seafood platter, orange chicken, beef and broccoli, cashew chicken, egg fried rice, and regular white rice. Yugi didn't know what Yami would like, so he ordered everything, his Grandpa usually ordered for the both of them.

Hanging up, Yugi and Yami waited for the delivery guy to show up, and just cuddled there on the sofa. After about 20 minutes of waiting, Yugi heard the door bell, and went down to the Game Shop, money in hand, to get the food. When Yugi came back up, Yami wasn't in the living room anymore. Walking into the kitchen, he found it lit by candle light, and Yami just placing the plates and silverware on the table.

Yugi smiled brightly at Yami and the two sat down and ate the Chinese. Though, the two fed each other the food, more than they just ate their food themselves. When they were done eating the two retired to Yugi's room, where they held each other close before falling asleep. Each boy slept with a smile on his face, for neither one felt that they could be happier than they had been that day

[Next morning]

"Wow, Kaiba Corporation is huge." Yami stated looking up at the tall building he was standing in front of.

"Yep, it's the tallest building in Domino City." Yugi said back laughing slightly at the look on Yami's face.

"So you'll be waiting for me here when I get done?" Yami asked.

"Nope! I'll be at home, the dishes haven't been done in two weeks, and they're starting to pile up." Yugi said with a sheepish look towards Yami.

"How am I supposed to get back home?" Yami asked in disbelief that Yugi was just going to ditch him. Yugi looked down at the puzzle around his neck, and held it up for Yami to see, pointing at it.

"Right." Yami responded.

"So I'll see you at home?" Yugi asked.

"Yeah, I'll see you at home." Yami responded and started to make his way into the building.

Yami was gasping for breath as he finally made it up to Kaiba's floor, floor 100. He couldn't believe that the elevator broke down today of all days. He had to walk up the stairs from the ground floor to the very top. It had been easy at first, but Yami had found that the higher he went the more difficult it became. Yami crawled up to the secretary's desk, and used the desk as leverage to get off the floor. His legs were shaking with exhaustion, and his skin was pouring off sweat.

"May I help you?" the lady behind the desk asked as she moved some folders closer to her, so as not to get them wet.

"I…see…Kaiba." Yami gasped before his legs gave way and he collapsed on the ground.

"Are you Mr. Sennen?" she asked peering over her desk at him.

Yami just nodded.

"We expected you hours ago." She said coming around the desk now to get a better look at Yami on the floor.

"Elevator…broke." Yami gasped out.

"Dear heavens almighty, you did _not_ use the stairs?" the lady asked of him in a slightly horrified voice.

Yami just nodded again.

"I'll get you some water." The lady said rushing off, just as Kaiba's annoyed voice sounded through her speaker.

"ALEXIS! IS YAMI SENNEN HERE YET?! I'M BEGINNING TO GROW IMPATIENT! I JUST CALLED YUGI AND HE SAID HE WATCHED SENNEN WALK IN HERE FOUR HOURS AGO! IS HE HERE YET?!" Kaiba's voice yelled through the intercom.

Yami dragged himself around Alexis's desk, and got up on his knees to press the button for the intercom system. Once he had pushed it he leaned down really close to answer Kaiba's shouted question.

"Yessss." Yami said before collapsing once more on the ground.

"Then what are you waiting for? Send him in already." Kaiba growled back. Heaving himself back up on the desk Yami responded again for Alexis.

"But…I…tired. Too…many…stairs." Yami gasped out into the intercom, before falling upon the ground, _again_. Yami was getting worn out by all the exercise of getting up on his knees just to respond to the man.

Yami heard what sounded like footsteps in the other room, before the double doors were thrown open. The footsteps got closer, until Yami saw them stop in front of him. Looking up, he found Kaiba looking down at his pathetic form with one eyebrow raised.

"You really climbed all two thousand steps?" Kaiba asked in disbelief.

Yami nodded.

**_Yami? Where are you? Kaiba just called, and said you hadn't arrived at his office yet. Are you hurt? And why do I feel so much exhaustion coming from your end? Why are you exhausted?_**

**Two thousand steps, there were two thousand of them. **

**_You used the stairs?_**

**Uh-huh…**

**_Oh, you poor thing, well I sure hope Kaiba's part is worth it._**

**Me too, otherwise I would have felt like I just wasted all that energy crawling up floors 96-100. It took me five minutes just to open the stupid door.**

**_Yeah, the stairs I designed to wipe out your energy. So if anyone ever gets into the Kaiba Corp. building to do the Kaiba brothers harm, they can shut down the elevators and make them use the stairs. So by the time that they finally get up to the 100_****_th_****_ floor they're too exhausted to actually do anything, but wait for the police to arrive._**

**How do you know this?**

**_Who do you think Kaiba tested it out on? He invited the gang over to celebrate overthrowing his Step-Father, only the elevators were _****mysteriously****_ broken. Not wanting to bail on Kaiba, we used the stairs, by the time we got up there, there were water bottles, and triple meat stacked hamburgers from Burger World for each of us, as a reward for a job well done. When Jou got back his energy he tried to throttle Kaiba, but Kaiba had security waiting nearby just in case we _****did****_ turn on him. So he was pretty much prepared._**

**That wasn't nice of him.**

**_Whoever said Kaiba was nice?_**

**Good point.**

"Are you just going to lay there staring at my shoes all day or do you want my story, though I must warn you, it's rather short." Kaiba said before turning on his heel and swiftly walking away.

"Kaiba…I can barely…move." Yami whined out to him.

Alexis came back into the room to see the doors open to Kaiba's office and Yami nowhere in sight. Thinking he might have dragged himself in there, she rushed in with her hands full of water and food. Not finding him in there, she came back out and wandered around her desk to see him lying on the floor.

"Here, I brought you water and something to eat. Let's get you into Kaiba's office." Alexis said setting the stuff down on her desk and helping Yami to his feet.

Holding Yami up by the back of his jeans, and putting one of his arms around her small shoulders, she half carried half dragged Yami into Kaiba's office and deposited him into one of the chairs. Rushing back out, she came back in with the three water bottles and a large bag of food. She placed the items in front of Yami and walked back out, making to shut the doors on her way.

"Eat, and then we'll talk." Kaiba ordered.

Yami simply nodded before opening the bag of food, and the tantalizing smell of fried and greasy food came out to meet his nose. Just the smell of the food had Yami's mouth watering. Who knew that a hamburger could taste so good? And the water, who knew it could be so refreshing? Yami was in heaven, pure heaven, something that must have leaked through the mind link because his brain was being tickled again.

When Yami had devoured everything he wiped his hands off on a napkin, and took out his notebook and pencil out of his book bag. He then faced Kaiba.

"Alright, talk." He said simply.

"Three years ago, seventh grade, blah, blah, blah. It was two days before the roof incident. I had been out of school for several days due to a problem within my company. When I came back I heard rumors flying about how it might not be true after all that Yugi and Malik were dating. I couldn't help but feel like I had missed out on something big, so when I ran into Ryou, I stopped and talked with him." Kaiba explained with his hands folded in front of him resting on his knee.

_"__Hey, Ryou, what's with all these rumors going around about Yugi and Malik dating?" Kaiba asked Ryou in confusion._

_"__I don't know, someone must have overheard something and spread them around. Jou and I swore to each other we were going to keep it on the down low, but somehow it got out anyway. Now we're trying to figure out who started it in the first place. Have you seen Anzu around? I need to talk with her." Ryou responded like he was horribly distracted with an inner conflict._

_"__No, I haven't. Are you alright Ryou?" Kaiba asked with mild concern lacing his voice._

_"__Yeah, I'm fine; I just need to find Anzu." Ryou said before he rushed off._

"It seemed strange to me that Ryou seemed to be frazzled. It took a lot to shake him, and he looked pretty shaken. I figured something must have happened between him and Anzu, and he needed to clear it up, so I pushed it from my mind. It wasn't until later that day that I heard more about this, from my boyfriend Jou, of all people too." Kaiba said getting up and looking out of one of the many windows that lined his office.

_"__What do you two want? I'm busy with important work things." Kaiba said to Jou and Honda who had harassed his maid into letting them in._

_"__We need you to hack into the schools security cameras, and see what happened on the day that Yug' confessed to Rebecca." Jou said giving Kaiba a kicked puppy look._

_"__Fine, come on. I heard that." Kaiba said as he turned around and made his way to his main frame room; Jou and Honda high fived each other._

"We watched the screen as Yugi confessed to Rebecca, Anzu saw the hug they shared, Anzu ran into Ryou, and Ryou ran into Jou. I think that whatever Anzu told Ryou is what he was so frazzled about when I ran into him that morning. I think Ryou knew where the rumors had started from; he was just too ashamed to admit it, even to Yugi. I was about to close out of the schools security system when Jou stopped my hand." Kaiba explained, now leaning against his desk.

_"Wait, Seto, I think I just saw something move in those bushes there." Jou said stilling Kaiba's hand before he could shut down the program._

_"What is it Mutt?" Kaiba asked looking at what Jou was pointing at._

_A figure was climbing out from behind the bushes, before it ran off, with its back towards the camera they were looking through. There was no way to see the figure from the front though, because it hopped one of the school's fences and ran off. Almost like it didn't want anyone or anything to see its' face._

_"Who was that?" Honda asked breaking the silence first._

_"No idea, but they're probably the one who spread it around the school. What I don't understand is why? Who would want to ruin our friends' friendship like that?" Jou asked no one in particular, he was just asking the question out loud._

_"I don't know, but who's going to tell Yugi that Anzu started the rumors?" Kaiba asked._

_"Maybe we should just keep this to ourselves and it'll die down like all the rest have." Jou suggested, in a defeated type of tone._

_"No, I'm telling him tomorrow Jou, and that's the end of it."Kaiba said shutting down the school's cameras program, before closing his laptop shut._

_"All right, but just know that this will probably break up our friendship circle." Jou responded back in a half defeated half desperate voice._

_"I'm aware of the risk, Jou, but I'm also aware of the cost we might pay if we __don't__ tell him." Kaiba responded back lifting up his head and kissing him softly in on the lips._

_"As fun as it is watching you two kiss I need to get home to my mom, she's probably worried about me right now." Honda said backing out of the door._

_"Alright I'll have my driver give you a ride home." Kaiba responded looking at him._

_"I'll walk you out." Jou said as he made his way towards Honda._

_"Nah, it's fine, I know my way to the front door. See you at school tomorrow." Honda replied back with a wave. _

_"__You should go home too, I don't want your sister to worry about you." Kaiba said getting up and leading Jou out._

_"__When are you going to tell him?" Jou asked with worry I his tone._

_"__Soon, mutt, soon." Kaiba responded kissing him again on the lips and then letting him out of the house._

"I had my second driver drive Jou home, and then I made the call to Yugi's. I figured the longer I waited, the more chance there was that he heard it from someone else. So I told him as soon as I got to my private rooms, and dialed his house number. No one, not even I, could have expected Yugi to react the way he did." Kaiba said with a humorless smile on his face as he turned from Yami again to look out the window.

_"__Hello? Kaiba?" Yugi's voice said on the other line._

_"__Yugi, I have something need to tell you, and it isn't easy for me to do so either." Kaiba said worry lacing his tone._

_"__Okay, what is it?" Yugi asked curiosity in his voice._

_"__Anzu Mazaki started those rumors about you and Malik." Kaiba got straight to the point and told him. He then held his breath, waiting for Yugi's reaction._

_"__Yeah, I was kind of coming to the same conclusion myself, but I had no proof to back it up."Yugi said in a weary voice._

_Kaiba was silent._

_"__Wait, how did you find out?" Yugi asked suspicious now._

_"__I hacked into the schools security cameras." Kaiba said back in a robotic voice, he was still coming back from the shock he had just received._

_"__Oh, I see, when?" Yugi asked in a monotone voice._

_"__20 minutes ago." Kaiba said back._

_"__Oh, I thought you had known for a while now, and were only just telling me. Does Malik or Rebecca know?" Yugi said in an abashed tone, before asking an important question._

_"__I'm calling them next to tell them." Kaiba said._

_"__No." Yugi said too quickly for Kaiba's liking._

_"__Sorry?" Kaiba asked scarcely believing what he hard._

_"__I mean, I'll tell Rebecca, and you can tell Malik. Rebecca's and I's relationship is sitting on the edge of a knife, if I don't tell her, I might lose her as a friend. I don't think I would be able to live with something like that. We've been tight since our Grandpa's introduced us, I can't lose her as a friend, I just can't." Yugi's voice was starting to break, revealing just how badly these rumors were affecting him._

_"__Okay, I'll let you tell Rebecca, but I'm calling Malik tonight." Kaiba said in a stern voice._

_"__Thank you Kaiba. You're a really good friend when you want to be, you know that, right?" Yugi asked before he hung up._

_"__Yeah, I know." Kaiba said to the now dead line._

"I called Malik next and he sounded as if he wanted to rip Anzu's head off. I'm not going to tell you what he said, he can tell you himself. Though, mostly the reason why I'm not going to tell you is because I don't want to repeat some of the _language_ he used." Kaiba said sitting back in his chair.

It was silent in the room for a couple of minutes, making Yami wonder if Kaiba was planning on finishing the story. He knew there was more of his part to play in it, Jou had said as much already. Just when Yami was about to ask him to continue, Kaiba spoke up again in a strained voice.

"I should have never let Yugi tell Rebecca himself. Out of everything that had happened, that is what I regret doing the most. I think all the time, if I had told her instead, would we all still be friends? Or would things still be the same as they are now? With both Rebecca, and Anzu caught off from the group? No one can say for certain what might have been, what could have been, we can only say how it is or was. I was searching the grounds for Mai Valentine, she was supposed to meet our group up in the Library two hours ago, but she had never shown up. I ran into Jou, before I ran into Mai, and I couldn't believe what they were both telling me." Kaiba had his head in his hands as he spoke, and there was deep regret in his voice.

_"Are you __sure__ you saw what you did Jou? The last thing we need is more rumors flying about this school." Kaiba asked for seventh time._

_"__Yes__, Seto I saw Yugi __falling off__ the middle height roof, and __Rebecca's head__ appear over the edge of that same roof. She was the __only one__ up there, it couldn't have been anyone else, and Honda was right above them so I'm __sure__ he saw the exact same thing too." Jou explained again._

_"Alright, but let's find Honda, just, just to make sure." Kaiba started to say, before Jou cut him off._

_"Are you saying you don't believe me?" Jou asked in an angry tone._

_"No, I just want to be __certain__." Kaiba said back putting emphasis on the word certain. _

"That's when Vivian and Mai were running past us. Mai looked like she was trying to calm Vivian down about something, but whatever she was saying clearly wasn't helping. I stopped them, and Vivian's words made the bottom of my stomach drop out." Kaiba said his head still in his hands.

_"I was up on the highest rooftop, I was looking for you or Ryou, but what I saw was __much__ worse. I just saw Rebecca __push__ Yugi off the roof, Honda didn't see much of it, just the tail end where Rebecca was looking over the edge, but I saw the __whole thing__. Oh, it was awful; I never want to see something like that ever again."Vivian explained hysterically._

_"Come on Viv' we need to go to the nurse, __before__ you go into shock." Mai said grabbing her upper arm and guiding her away towards the school._

_Jou looked towards me and I nodded my head._

_"All right, we need to make sure Rebecca stays away from Yugi, if she tried to kill him once, she'll try to do it again." Kaiba said before walking off._

"I couldn't believe what I was hearing, but Vivian's voice sounded strange when she was telling us what she saw. It almost sounded like she wasn't telling us the whole truth, but before I could call her on it, Mai had whisked her away. I had a quick word with Jou, and then walked off after the two girls; I was determined to find out what they were hiding." Kaiba said lifting his head with a strange gleam in his eye.

_"__I don't know Mai, what if someone finds out?" Vivian was saying._

_"__As long as you keep your mouth shut, no one's going to know." Mai said back._

_"__But just say someone does." Vivian said back frantically._

_"__Vivian, this is our dirty little secret, and no one's going to find out I promise." Mai said back in a reassuring voice._

_"__So you'll take care of it?" Vivian asked back._

_"__Of course." Mai said back confidently._

_"__Okay, I trust you, my twin." Vivian said with relief flooding her voice._

_"__As I do you, my twin." Mai said back._

"The two girls walked off after that, I never did find out what they were talking about, but my gut instinct told me it was Yugi. However, that gut instinct kicked in a little too late, Yugi had already pushed every one of us away by not allowing us into his hospital room while he was healing. Two weeks, two weeks for my gut instinct to kick in, and it was already too late. Yugi had walked out of our lives, and he made it apparent that he wasn't re-entering it anytime soon." Kaiba said in a dramatic voice.

Yami had no doubt that the story was over. He began to pack his stuff up and rise from his chair. Yami started to walk out when Kaiba made a noise behind him, making him pause and turn around.

"Yami, please, just find out. Just find out which one of those girls really pushed Yugi off the roof that day. I know it wasn't Rebecca, but I was too blind to see it before. Find out who really did it, Vivian or Mai. One of those girls is guilty, I want to know who." Kaiba said with a fierce fire in his eyes. The sapphire color almost seemed to be glowing with an ethereal glow to them.

"Don't worry I intend to. Whoever it was damaged Yugi psychologically, and I intend to make them pay for their actions. When I'm through with them, they'll be the one with the psychological problems, and Yugi will look as if he was never damaged in the first place." Yami said back his own eyes glowing like they were lit with a fire from within.

To Kaiba Yami looked like the Devil himself with those eyes, and it made him wonder just who this guy was. Though, before he could become too entranced with those eyes, Yami turned and walked back out the door. Kaiba wondered if the pieces were coming together yet, or were they still too scattered for a picture to be forming. He only had three more stories left, and then he would be able to tell them al what had really happened, Kaiba just hoped that he would get Yugi's. No one had ever been able to, because when it had came time to talk; Yugi's lips had sealed themselves tighter than two pieces of paper glued together.

"Kaiba! Your elevators still broken and I refuse to walk back down those stairs." Yami said charging back into the room. Kaiba typed something on his computer, and then turned to Yami.

"Sorry, it's fixed now, enjoy the ride down." Kaiba said in a 'whatever' voice.

"I hate you." Yami said with narrowed eyes before he marched back to the elevator and took it down.

Kaiba watched him in the elevator, walk across his lobby, and then vanish in front of his front doors. One minute he was there, some people walked by obscuring him from view, and then he was gone. Sennen must run fast, was Kaiba's only logical explanation that he could come up with.

"I'm home Yugi!" Yami called out to the house.

It was eerily quiet, making Yami worry, until he heard Yugi in his head.

**_Stop freaking out; I just went to get the mail, geez._**

**Sorry, I walked into a quiet house, what was I suppose to think?**

**_How should I kno-_**

**Yugi? Yugi! Yugi, answer me!**

Yami bolted down the stairs, and out through the Game Shops front door. Mail was scattered everywhere on the walk way, but Yugi was nowhere in sight.

**I'm not being very nice in either of my stories. This one Yugi's gone missing, the other one Yugi is cornered with no where to go. Best part they're both cliff hangers. Anyway, thank you to everyone who reviewed Guest and User alike. Also thanks to all of those who have/are favorited/following this story. All reviews are appreciated, so please review. Midnight ;p**


	29. A revenge filled beating

**Filler chapter here, but it was needed none the less. You were all wrong! It wasn't Mai, nor was it Vivian who kidnapped Yugi, but instead of few friends of our bullies from a few chapters ago. Anyway, I do not own Yugioh, enjoy! [YAMI**and**_YUGI]_**

Chapter 29

Yugi struggled to pull himself out of the black oblivion of which he was finding himself a captive of. As colors and noises started to stream back into his senses, Yugi felt a pulsing point of pain on the back of his head. Oh yeah, that was right, someone had knocked him out from behind. Yugi could feel frantic worry, but it was so far away he wasn't sure if it was his or Yami's.

"Hey I think the Shrimp is finally coming 'round." A voice said suddenly.

Yugi knew that voice; it belonged to one of the guys that always followed Ushio and Bandit Keith around. It was Satake's voice, which meant that Takaido and Kotsuzuka were nearby as well. The crunching of three pairs of feet towards him confirmed his suspicions.

"Get up already Shrimp!" Takaido said pushing him.

Yugi rolled off of whatever it was he was lying on, and fell to the ground. Blinking his eyes more rapidly, to fully wake up, Yugi started to get a bearings of his surroundings. It appeared that he was in some kind of a warehouse, or a hide out. The ground was made of gravel, which didn't make for a nice surface to fall on. The object he had been on, was the small table, one of its legs was supported by books to keep it even.

Grunting, Yugi tried to get up, only to be kicked in the gut, sending him back down into a fetal position. Groaning and holding his abdomen, Yugi looked up at the three guys who had apparently kidnapped him. At the same time a shrill cry of Yugi rang through his head, making him cry out from the sheer velocity of its sound.

**_Yami, where are you? I thought you could use the puzzle to get to wherever I am?_**

**Yugi! Oh, Ra, you're awake. I can, but only if I'm within range. Yugi wherever you are, you're ****_way_**** out of range for me to use my Shadow Magic to get to you.**

**_Shadow what? Yami, I'm in a warehouse somewhere with Satake, Takaido, and Kotsuzuka._**

**Who?**

**_Ushio and Bandit Keith's friends._**

**What have they done to you? Yugi?! What have they done!?**

Yugi was otherwise occupied, bullies don't like it when you ignore them, they like to be the center of your attention. In fact, they like to have _all_ of your attention, and they know that the easiest way to get it is to cause their victim pain.

"Ah!" Yugi cried out as he was ferociously kicked in the abdomen three times.

"Pay attention when I'm talkin' to ya' Shrimp!" Kotsuzuka said while kicking him.

**_Yami…_**

**Don't worry Aibou, I'll find you!**

"Ah!" Yugi cried again as he was kicked in the chest this time.

"I said pay attention!" Kaotsuzuka yelled.

"We're not sure what your new friend Yami Sennen did to our leaders, but we figured we would make him pay for it, by hurting you." Satake said coming up to squat before Yugi with a shiny objet in his hand.

Yugi's eyes zeroed in on that shiny, object only for those same eyes to widen in horror, it was a _knife_. Looking up from the knife, he found Satake watching him with a sick expression of amusement on his face. Yugi could only imagine the horrors that Satake had in plan for him, as his eyes trailed back down to that knife.

Yugi tried scooting away, but he had only gotten two inches when someone kicked him in the back, sending him rolling into Satake's legs. Satake took the knife and dragged it along the sleeve of Yugi's jacket, cutting bits of his skin underneath.

Yugi screamed at the same time that he heard a shout of pain over the mind link, only it sounded closer. It made Yugi wonder briefly as they cut the other sleeve on his jacket if Yami could feel his pain too. Or maybe, he could hear of Yugi's pain, but if he could only hear it, why did he shout in pain?

**_Can you feel this Yami?_**

**No Aibou, I can't just feel it, I can ****_see_**** it too. What are they using on you? A ****_knife_****?!**

**_Yes._**

**I can feel your presence nearby, hold on Aibou, I'm close.**

**_Hurry._**

Yugi sent this thought to Yami as he gave another scream of pain as Satake dragged the knife up his right leg. Dragging it up Yugi's left leg as well; Yugi began to wonder where they were going to drag the knife along his body next. He didn't have to wait long though, as Satake started to drag it in zigzags along his chest, cutting deep, making Yugi choke on his screams.

Satake laughed with the others at the sight of Yugi. He was helpless to their will, and there was nothing that Sennen kid could do about it, because he didn't even know where they were. As Satake was thinking these thoughts, a brilliant bright flash eclipsed the room, and engulfed Yugi within its light.

**I'm here Yugi.**

This was the last thing Yugi heard before the Dark Magician was whisking him away from the warehouse, the Dark Magician Girl, and the Mystical Elf hot on his trail. Yugi whished that Kuriboh was here too, so he could have something to hold. As soon as he wished this, Kuriboh was in his arms, and Yugi held onto the fuzz ball like it was his only line to life.

As soon as they were a good distance away, the Dark Magician set Yugi on the ground, and moved aside so the Mystical Elf could heal the Young Master. As soon as Yugi was healed, he grabbed Kuriboh again and held the monster to his chest. Yugi cried into its fur, wishing Yami could be here instead, he needed a rock not a pillow, to capture his tears.

"Young Master you are safe, why are you crying?" The Dark Magician Girl asked in a light voice laced with concern.

"I want Yami to be here for me, but he isn't. Instead he's doing Ra knows what to those bullies back in the warehouse. He tells me he's here, but he isn't here." Yugi cried out confusing the poor monsters with his words.

"Sorry, Young Master we do not understand what it is you're trying to say." The Dark Magician said his eyes narrowed in confusion.

"I want Yami here with me _now_, but he isn't." Yugi tried clarifying through his tears.

"The Master will be here as soon as he can, you must be patient Young Master." The Mystical Elf tried to reason with Yugi.

"Grandpa always did say that patience is key." Yugi mumbled out into the Kuriboh's fur just loud enough for all the Monsters to hear him.

"And we shall be patient with you. We promise to not leave your side until the Master arrives." The Dark Magician Girl said with a smile as she floated down to sit next to Yugi.

"Why do you call us that? Master and Young master?" Yugi asked curiosity lacing his voice.

"Well Master is a Master at Shadow Magic which makes our existence right now possible, and you are his host, which makes you younger than him. Therefore we call you Young Master, so as not to insult you." The Dark Magician explained.

"I don't think that's possible. If anything I'm the one who's insulted all of you for abandoning you for so long. But you know, I think I might just challenge Malik to a game of Duel Monsters this week, I miss the game so much." Yugi said with a far of look to his eyes, missing the looks of glee on the Monsters faces at the thought of being played with again.

[With Yami]

As soon as Yami was fully materialized in the room, he had the Dark Magician grab Yugi and get him away. He gave the Dark Magician pacific instructions to take Yugi away, and bring along any other monster he thought Yugi would be comfortable with. He then turned his full and undivided attention towards the three bullies. He was going to make them rue their actions.

The eye of Horus glowed upon Yami's forehead as he used bountiful amounts of Shadow Magic to transport all four of them to the Shadow Realm. Along with them in the Shadow Realm Yami had brought Satake's knife as well, only he had doubled it, making three knives, instead of just the one. Tossing the knives one by one in the air, he watched the horrified expressions upon his soon to be victims' faces.

Without even blinking Yami threw one of the knives at Takaido's abdomen, watching as the knife hit its target dead on. The boy collapsed as Yami appeared right in front of him ripping it back out, making sure to twist it as it as he did, to cause huge amounts of pain. The boy withered in pain upon the floor of shadows he was laying on.

"Regret your actions yet?" Yami asked in a cold voice.

Takaido never responded; he had already passed out from loss of blood and the searing pain that was ripping from through his abdomen. Yami gave the boy a harsh kick as he stood back up, looking straight at his other two soon to be victims as they tried to run. It was a futile effort, as you seemed to get nowhere in the endless shadow around you.

Yami calmly motioned the other two knives over to him, grabbing one; he flung it at Kotsuzuka's back. The boy went down with a grunt of pain, to land on his hands and knees. Yami appeared next to him and twisted the knife out of his back as he pulled it out. When Kotsuzuka still refused to go down, Yami stomped on his back three times. Still Kotsuzuka was still on his hands and knees. Finally Yami kicked him swiftly in the gut, sending the boy crashing to the ground. A couple of more kicks to his head, and the boy was out cold.

Yami turned to Satake last. Using the same shadow binding move he had used on Ushio, Yami proceeded to tie him down. When he finally walked up to the struggling boy, he grinned down sadistically at him. Crouching down, Yami showed Satake as he transformed his knife into one with a shadow blade, it looked sinisterly dark as he turned it this way and that for Satake to see.

Taking the newly made knife, Yami dragged it across every part of his body that he done so for Yugi. Only the cuts were ten times deeper as well as painful. The boy was screaming, his throat hoarse, by the time Yami done making the zigzags on his chest. Last, Yami plunged the knife into Satake's side, though he hadn't had a chance to do this to Yugi, Yami had seen that this was the angle of the knife before he had made his presence known by entering in the most dramatic way he could think of.

Returning all of them to the real world, Yami saw that they were scattered all over the warehouse. Takaido was on the floor by the area that they had been torturing Yugi in. Kotsuzuka was strewn across the couch, his body half on and half off. And Satake was partially up the stairs, leading up to the higher parts of the warehouse. If the police ever came across the warehouse, it would seem like these boys had been jumped, which suited Yami just fine.

Putting Satake's knife back in his pocket, Yami made his way out of the warehouse. He could feel Yugi nearby, as well as the anguish the boy was feeling at the moment. Not that he had no right to not be anguished, but Yami felt his presence was needed. Breaking out into a sprint Yami quickly hurried to Yugi's side.

Yugi saw Yami run right past the area that he was tucked away in, and throwing all caution, and Kuriboh, to the wind ran to catch up with him. He had barely taken two strides before Yami was in the same alleyway as him running to envelope him in a hug. It seemed that Yami had indeed caught sight of him, and ran back to where he was.

"Are you okay? Are you hurt?" Yugi asked Yami repeatedly as he peppered Yami's face with kisses.

"I'm fine, Yugi, I'm fine." Yami tried to reassure the boy, but it seemed to be a hopeless cause. He nodded to the Monsters behind Yugi, and the disappeared

"Yami, I want to go home, can we please go home?" Yugi asked Yami once he was certain Yami was unharmed.

"Of course, just hold on tight, and close your eyes." Yami said grasping a firm grip on Yugi's hand.

Yugi did as Yami asked and closed his eyes. Yugi felt, rather than saw, Yami lead him three steps forward, and then stop.

"Alright Yugi, it's safe to open your eyes now." Yami said quietly beside him.

Yugi opened his eyes to find himself in his bedroom, but that was impossible, they had only taken three steps forward. How did they get home so quickly, in so little steps? Yugi looked behind him, to see the darkest corner of his room directly behind them.

"Yami, what is that place?" Yugi asked letting go of Yami's hand and pointing to the dark corner.

"Uh, that is a place I never want you to see, it can be rather scary at times." Yami replied back uneasily.

"But I've already seen it. All it is is a bunch of moving shadows, what's so scary about that?" Yugi asked innocently.

"Nothing, I suppose, when you put it that way. When exactly did you see this Yugi?" Yami said absent mindedly, before his voice took on a slightly more confused tone.

"The day we were playing hide-and-seek. I thought you might be hiding in this overly dark space, so I jumped in to surprise you, only to be rather surprised myself." Yugi responded back with a shrug of his shoulders.

"I see. Yugi please don't go into this corner again, I don't want you to get lost in its depths."Yami said his voice serious.

Yugi nodded, he had no intention of going back into that whirlpool of dark colors anyway. It was spooky enough the first time; he really didn't want to experience it a second time. A thought suddenly occurred to Yugi, and he turned to Yami, with the question already forming on his lips.

"Did you get the mail by any chance?" Yugi asked.

"No, I was a bit preoccupied with finding you." Yami replied back.

"So you mean to tell me you left it sitting down there scattered across the walkway?" Yugi asked in mock disbelief.

"Um, yes?" Yami responded.

"You're hopeless." Yugi said rolling his eyes and went down to fetch the mail of the walkway.

"Oh, come on, I was worried about you, not bits of paper!" Yami shouted after him.

Yugi just laughed at Yami's words and ran down the stairs to get the mail. Yami was right behind him, begging for forgiveness for not collecting the mail _before_ worrying about him. This only made Yugi laugh harder, as Yami tackled him into the couch tickling him mercilessly.

Yugi eventually got away from Yami, and collected the mail off the walkway. The two had left over Chinese food for dinner, and went to bed that night happy once again to be in each other's arms.

Compared to Saturday, Sunday was pretty uneventful, as Yugi and Yami tended to the shop. They received a larger amount of customers than was normal on a Sunday, due to the fact of how long they had been closed; Yugi supposed this was actually normal. The two boys were exhausted as they climbed into the bed that night, wondering what the next day would bring.

**No cliff hanger this time. Sorry, I know you'll all be disappointed that there's no cliff hanger, but I just couldn't swing it. In any case, thank you to everyone who are/have following/favorited this story. Also thanks to everyone who reviewed Guest and User alike. Oh, speaking of, I have a question for maria g, did you by any chance read the rest of my story or just the one part? Kinda curios to know the answer to that one. Please review, cause we made the 300 mark ya'll! Midnight ;p**


	30. Malik's part and a fearful encounter

**Geez writing this chapter got even my heart hammering, looking for an escape route. Wow, only eight more chapters left, and this story is done. I can barely wrap my mind around it. I apologize in advance for my vulgar language. Well, I do not own Yugioh, enjoy! [YAMI, ****_YUGI, _****and **_FLASHBACK_]

Chapter 30

"Come on Yami! Get up! We're going to be late!" Yugi shouted into the bedroom for what felt like the tenth time that morning.

"Mmmm, no, sleep good." Yami mumbled back.

"That's it!" Yugi shouted marching into the bathroom.

Yugi grabbed a bucket from under the sink and started to fill it with water. When the bucket was half full of freezing water, Yugi turned off the faucet. Heaving the bucket up out of the tub, Yugi proceeded to carry it back over to his room. Standing at the foot of the bed, Yugi chucked the water on the soon to be no longer sleeping Yami.

"YAHHH!" Yami yelled as he jumped out of bed.

"Now that you're up, get dressed." Yugi said sternly placing the bucket on the floor and walking out making sure to slam the door on his way.

Yami sat on Yugi's bed for a moment taking in his drenched state. The bed was pretty soaked too; a perfect imprint of where he was laying was stenciled in dryness onto the mattress. He wondered if it would be dry by the time night came around.

Shrugging it off for later, Yami climbed out of bed and got his uniform on. Grabbing his backpack, Yami made a bee line for the bathroom, he never made it there. Instead he ran smack into Yugi who was pacing in front of the door. Both got up off the floor groaning and holding different parts of their anatomy.

Yugi was rubbing his nose and glaring at Yami, while Yami was rubbing his collar bone doing the same to Yugi. Still holding his nose, Yugi motioned to the bathroom behind him. Yami gladly took it, and got ready for school, or he tried to anyway.

Two minutes after Yami entered the bathroom, Yugi was banging on the door for him to hurry it up, because they had to get to school. Yami felt like pointing out that they could always take the Shadow Realm, but why deprive Yugi of a workout? In the end they both ran all the way to school, with Yugi yelling about him being too lazy in his head the entire way.

Both boys slipped onto the grounds just as the warning bell was ringing, giving them two minutes to get to class. So not even being able to get themselves a breather, both boys were gasping for breath by the time that they sat in their seats.

"Hey, Yami meet me today after school." Malik spoke up from behind Yami.

"What? Why?" Yami asked slightly confused over his shoulder.

"My story." Malik said simply.

"Huh? Oh, right, okay." Yami asked in a moment of forgetfulness before he remembered what it was Malik was talking about.

"Cherry blossom tree, on the school grounds is where I'll be. I've asked Marik to distract Yug' so you two can walk home together." Malik explained further.

"Really, thanks, that's very nice of you." Yami replied back.

"So I'll see you after school then?" Malik more asked then said.

"Yes, you will." Yami said back just as Karu Sensei came walking into the classroom.

All the students straightened up for another boring day of school. And boring it was indeed, as the students passed from class to class in a slight daze. Barely retaining the information they were taught, Yami pecked Yugi on the lips as he dropped him off at the Library. This act of romance received many cat calls from nearby students, and a very red in the face Yugi. Yami smiled down at him, whispered that he would see him later, and headed off to his own class. The last Yami saw of Yugi he was ducking into the Library, to hide from the other students.

Yami wandered out onto the school grounds after Gym, to find Malik exactly where he said he would be, under the cherry blossom tree. At the same time, Yami heard Yugi through the link.

**_That's nice Marik, but where's Yami, my _****boyfriend****_._**

**I'm fine Aibou, just spend some time with Marik, I'll meet up with you later.**

**_But we had _****plans****_ Yami!_**

**And we will still have them, ****_later_****.**

**_You owe me for this Yami, you owe me big time._**

**How bad can he be?**

**_…_**

**Yugi?**

**_He has Bakura with him; make sure you tell Malik about this, Marik brought Bakura. I have to go; they think I've fallen asleep standing up._**

**Have fun…**

**_Not likely._**

The link was shut after that, leaving Yami to only wonder what was going on. Shrugging it off to worry about later, Yami made his way over to Malik. Sitting down, Yami pulled out his notebook and pencil, and prepared himself to write.

"Ready Yami?" Malik asked.

"Mmhmm, start." Yami said back.

"Right, seventh grade, three years ago, word was going around that I was dating Yugi. Didn't know how at first, but it sure did get around fast. But that's not where this starts, it starts with Yugi coming up to Honda and I stating that he's going to confess to Rebecca. It only took him three years to get the confidence to do so." Malik said a new emotion that Yami was unfamiliar with over taking Malik's face.

_"I'm going to do it; I'm going to confess to Rebecca Hawkins today." Yugi said out of the blue, a large grin on his face._

_"Are you sure that's a good idea Yug'? I mean you've been friends for years, what if she doesn't even want to be your friend anymore?" Malik asked Yugi after he had told them of his plans._

_"Well, yeah it's a risk, but one I'm willing to make. If I don't tell her, I'll always wonder what if? I'm going to tell her today." Yugi explained back._

_"Well good luck Yug'!" Honda said clapping Yugi on the back._

_"Thanks Honda, I sure hope she'll still want to be my friend even if she doesn't feel the same way." Yugi said with a small smile before walking off to find Rebecca._

"I wasn't really sure how it had turned out, all I knew was that the next day I was flirting with Marik, and he was spurning my advances. I finally cornered him and asked him what his problem was, and he told me that he doesn't flirt with the taken. This confused me because I had no clue as to what he was talking about." Malik said annoyance in his tone as he got up and started to pace in front of Yami.

_"__What are you talking about Marik, I'm not taken!" Malik almost yelled._

_"__That's not what Bakura heard; he heard that you and Yugi Mutou were dating. In fact he heard that the two of you had a date this Friday." Marik went on to say._

_"__What?" Malik asked in disbelief._

_"__This is between you two, if you don't believe the information to be correct, sort it out." Marik said in a defeated tone with his hands raised in surrender._

_"__Oh, I intend to." Malik said watching Marik march away._

"I immediately went to find Yugi. I knew he didn't arrive until second period, and I had a free period then, so I waited by the school gates for him to arrive. When he did, we had a royal showdown, with many witnesses to account for it." Malik said a heated look in his eyes and voice. Yami was starting to get the feeling that Malik hadn't let go of all the emotions he had tied to theses events.

_"__I can't believe you started a rumor like that Malik! If you had feelings for me, why didn't you say something?!" Yugi yelled at Malik_

_"__You knew I liked Marik, so why come up with this cock 'o' bull story of us dating Yugi!? You ruined everything!" Malik yelled right back._

_"__You are the worst friend in the universe Malik!" Yugi shouted right back._

_"__I'm the worst friend? I'm not the one starting cheap ass rumors to get attention!" Malik screamed right back._

_"__Whoa! Wait a minute; you didn't say we were dating?" Yugi threw his hands out in front of him before stating a question in a very angry tone._

_"__Of course not! Why would I ruin my chances with Marik like that?" Malik responded back angrily._

_"__Wait so…if you didn't say it, and I didn't say it, who did?"Yugi asked the tension leaving his shoulders like someone pulled the plug in a tub full of water._

_"__Wait, so you __didn't__ start it?"Malik asked with some slight confusion lacing his tone._

_"__Why would I deliberately harm one of my friends like that?" Yugi asked in slightly annoyed tone._

_"__I suppose that does seem really out of character for you." Malik said slowly._

_Yugi simply shook his head as an awkward silence breached their space of conflict. It was only when they were silent that they had noticed that they had drawn in a large crowd. After looking around at the crowd, both Malik's and Yugi's eyes met again, and both boys burst out in laughter. Here they were fighting over the same thing, and they hadn't even realized it. They had been too busty yelling at each other until they were nearly hoarse._

_"__Let's find the scoundrel that believes it's okay to try to ruin friendships." Malik suggested._

_"__Yes, let's." Yugi said linking arms with Malik and the two marched out of the crowd and away from it just like that._

"We didn't get much background to work on for who started the rumor. All we had to go on, Yugi and I, was that Anzu was acting abnormal. As the week went on, she acted even stranger, Yugi and I were thinking of confronting her the day of the roof incident, but it never happened. Kaiba had called Yugi and I up to tell us that Anzu was the one who started the rumors. I heard Yugi took it better than I did." Malik said sitting back down and putting his head on his arms which were on his knees.

_"__Anzu? Anzu Mazaki started it, that bitch. Why would she do something like this?"Malik asked Kaiba over the phone._

_"__Jealousy, perhaps. I mean she must have had affections for Yugi." Kaiba tried to reason._

_"__Okay, but why ruin her __own__ friendship with him? With us?" Malik asked._

_"__I don't know Malik; you'll have to ask her at school tomorrow." Kaiba said in a defeated tone._

_"__Fine, I'll ask her. I'll ask the bloody bitch what the hell she was thinking." Malik said sharply before hanging up._

"I went on hunt for her, but she wasn't in school the next day. She was out sick; apparently she had caught it the day before or something. I was told by several students that Yugi was up on one of the roofs talking to Rebecca. So I went to find him, thinking I could offer back up to his story. Too bad I got the wrong roof in my haste to find them." Malik said with sadness in his voice now.

_Pushing the door open to the bottom most roofs, I looked up when I heard voices. Yugi and Rebecca where on the roof above and across from me, that was just my luck to end up on the wrong one. I watched as Rebecca said something that made Yugi bow his head for some reason. I didn't even hear Yugi's voice as he looked back up with the saddest most forgiving eyes I had ever seen him use. Whatever Rebecca had said had cut Yugi deeply._

_I watched as Yugi suddenly grabbed Rebecca's arm and flung her on the ground on the roof they were on. However, the motion put him in the spot that she had been standing in, and by consequence within reach of those out reaching arms. I watched in horror as Yugi tumbled over the edge of the roof, his eyes closing, as if he was bracing himself for the impact. I also noticed the two most vicious and vindictive brown eyes appear over the edge of the roof to watch Yugi's descent, before they were gone, and Rebecca's head had taken their place. I saw Honda watch in fear as Yugi tumbled over from his higher position, and Jou come in at the end from the ground. I didn't even wait for Yugi to touch the ground; I was already racing to the ground floor to get to Yugi._

"Yugi got very lucky, Ushio and Keith happened to be passing by, and he landed right on top of them. They placed him gently on the grassy ground, and I called for a paramedic. Yugi had a few cracked ribs, a sprained ankle, and a broken wrist. He got very lucky, he could have died. That day, was the end of all days. It was the end of our friendship circle. It came apart like a chain being pulled in too many directions until the links just came apart. Jou and Yugi had fight, but it was nothing compared to Yugi's and my own." Malik said sadness most certainly in his voice now, if those tears were anything to go by.

_"__I don't care if my last name isn't Mutou, that's my friend in there and I __will__ see him!"Malik yelled at the nurse he was trying to shove out of the way._

_"__I'm sorry sir, but I can't allow that. He has asked for family visitation only, you are not family." The nurse tried to reason with him._

_"__Bull! We grew up together, that makes us family!" Malik yelled finally shoving past the nurse and getting into Yugi's hospital room._

_"__Get out Malik, I don't want you here!" Yugi shouted as soon as he was in the room._

_"__Well that's just too bad! Everyone wants to know why you're pushing us away! So why are you pushing us away?" Malik yelled back._

_"__Because I don't __want__ you here, I don't want __any__ of you here."Yugi said back with venom and hatred in his voice._

_"__Why are you acting this way towards us, to your __friends__?"Malik asked back with just as much venom._

_"__What makes you think I __want__ you lot to be my friends anymore?"Yugi asked coldly._

_"__What?" Malik asked softly, all of his former bravado gone._

_"__I do not want nor do I need friends. They're nothing but a liability, a liability I can no longer afford to have." Yugi sneered._

_"__You don't mean that?" Malik slightly begged._

_"__Don't I?"Yugi asked coldly._

_Malik looked deep into Yugi's amethyst eyes, for any sign of doubt. There wasn't even a waver in Yugi's cold demeanor. He truly meant what he was saying, and as Malik came to this final conclusion, tears started to well up in his eyes._

_"__Please leave Malik." Yugi said in a quiet voice but the force of his tone was still there._

_With tears starting to escape from his eyes and flow down his cheeks, Malik just turned and started to slowly walk out. When Malik was by the door he hesitated, and looked back. Yugi was facing away from him and he was bunched up into a fetal position. Just as Malik was about to shut the door, he heard it, as soft as a whisper and as light as a ghost, but he heard it._

_"__One day, you'll understand, one day I'll be able to say I'm sorry, and mean it. Today is not that day."Yugi whispered to the quiet room his voice coming out in a chocked sob._

"I was tempted to say something back, but at the same time I knew that voice he was using. He was using his regretful voice, the one he used only when he thought no one was around to hear it. So I quietly shut the door and left, angry, upset, and confused. I was the last one to have contact with Yugi before he came back to school, and by the time he did someone had started a new rumor about him. Someone tried starting a rumor that he had AIDS. That rumor lasted all of two hours before it was wiped out. I would really like to know who started that one, but it's helped Yugi out before. I mean you saw it in action on your first day here, when Yugi threatened to infect Anzu. It was an empty threat but it worked. Two weeks and the chain was broken, the end." Malik looked away from him before looking back with a slight grin on his face when he was mentioning the whole AIDS thing, only to look away again when he mentioned the ending line.

Yami got up and was dusting himself off when he felt it. Untouched fear had completely eclipsed the link. Yami froze as he fought to get into Yugi's mind to calm him down, in the same motion that he silenced Malik from asking what was wrong by placing a hand over his mouth.

Yugi had finally gotten away from Marik and Bakura, and was making his way down a deserted hallway. Or at least he thought it had been deserted. As Yugi was passing the bathrooms a figure suddenly came out, their notebooks flying everywhere as the two went crashing to the ground. Yugi scrambled to pick up the other person's stuff while apologizing, not even noticing whom it was.

"I'm so sorry; I should have been paying better attention to where I was go-Vivian." Yugi's apology came to an abrupt halt as his eyes came in contact with a soft brown color. Fear over took every sense of Yugi's body, and in the same moment he felt Yami trying to claw his way into his mind.

"I'm sorry Yugi, I should have been more aware of my surroundings." She apologized softly standing up with Yugi doing the same.

"It's alright Vivian no blood, no foul." Yugi said stiffly still looking at her directly in the eyes.

"O-Okay." She stuttered back.

"I guess I'll see you around." Yugi said backing up towards the boy's bathroom, placing his hand on the door.

"Yeah, I-I'll see you around." She replied back braking eye contact, giving Yugi the chance to escape into the boy's bathroom.

As soon as the door was shut, Yugi found himself pressed up against it by a warm body. His heart was hammering in his chest, fighting to escape, and he was almost certain Yami could feel it too. Yugi took a couple of deep breaths to calm his racing heart. After a few more moments he finally had a grip of himself again.

"Who Yugi, who can put so much fear into your very soul?" Yami whispered into his ear.

"One more, one more story and I swear I'll tell you. Just wait one more story, and then you'll know." Yugi whispered right back into Yami chest.

"Okay, one more." Yami whispered into Yugi's hair, placing a gentle kiss upon his brow.

**Thank you to everyone who have/are favorited/following this story. Also, thank you to everyone who reviewed Guest and User alike. I promised you lot two chapters this week and here they are. Oh, i also have another story called The eye catching engagement out. Give it a look see if you want. Please review! Midnight ;p**


	31. Ryou's part

**At last! The long awaited for chapter 31! Seriously, it's almost been a week since my last update. Oh and you guys should expect The Demon's Crew chapter 10 by Sunday. So keep a sharp eye out for it then. Right, I do not own Yugioh, enjoy!**

Chapter 31

"I don't think getting Ryou's story is going to be that easy, Yugi." Yami said as they got home that night. Yugi had been really shaken by whoever it was that could put so much fear into him. Yami was desperate to know who this mysterious person was, but Yugi had promised to tell him. He would respect Yugi's wish for now, but if he didn't get an answer soon, he would be taking matters into his own hands.

"Why not? Ryou is very easy to get along with. He's one of the kindest guys I have ever met; it's very hard to get on his bad side." Yugi said with a dull expression in his eyes and a distant tone in his voice. He had been like this ever since this afternoon's incident in the hallway. It had shaken Yugi to his core, and Yugi's attitude was starting to unnerve Yami himself.

"Well I managed somehow to do just that. He made it very apparent that he doesn't like me. Our first encounter together and he was glaring at me with angry eyes." Yami explained trying to get through to Yugi. He placed a hand on Yugi's shoulder and turned him to look at him. Yami was amazed to find some much hidden amusement in his eyes.

"Oh, Ryou must have been in a bad mood on the day you two first met. I wonder what Bakura did this time. You see when Ryou's in a bad mood, he tends to take it out on people he doesn't know. That way he doesn't feel bad about it later, he didn't know the person, so there's no reason to feel guilty about his actions hurting their feelings." Yugi explained with a sheepish look on his face as he shrugged his shoulders and rubbed the back of his head.

"He was in a bad mood?" Yami asked in slight disbelief.

"Well you said he had angry eyes, and Ryou only has angry eyes whenever Bakura, his boyfriend, does something wrong. Which is quite often, but somehow, Ryou always forgives him anyway." Yugi said explained further a slightly more sheepish look on his face then the one that was on it before.

"Your friends confuse me, Yugi." Yami said shaking his head.

This comment got a slightly half-heated shaky laugh out of the boy. At least it was something Yami reasoned as he climbed the stairs, Yugi following. Still, Yami wanted that full gleam and sparkle back in Yugi's eyes. It had only been two hours, and he was already starting to miss it.

The night was quiet, neither boy really saying much, not that either of them had much to say in the first place anyway. So they ate in silence, studied in silence, watched TV in silence, and last went to bed in silence. Yugi fell asleep, but Yami didn't much to his own dismay. He was still thinking about Yugi's reaction to whoever had frightened him. That had to be the same person who pushed him off the roof. Some of the stories so far as he heard them, made Vivian seem like the culprit, but Yami for some reason had his doubts about that. He was leaning more towards Mai at this point, Mai Valentine. She seemed like the more likely suspect to him. Still he had two more stories to go, than he could jump to conclusions all he wanted. Though, until then, he promised to be indifferent. Rolling over and curling an arm around Yugi's form, he drew the boy into his side and slowly drifted off to sleep.

[Time skip]

"Come on Ryou! I need your story, and then I shall collect Yugi's and be done with this." Yami explained for what felt like the hundredth time that week. It seemed that Ryou was even better at avoiding people than Rebecca was, as it had taken him until Thursday to finally corner the boy.

"Yugi isn't going to tell you anything anyway, so why does it matter? I mean he _says_ he will, but when it comes right down to it, he'll tell all about how _bad_ of an idea it really is. He'll chicken out Yami, he always does." Ryou said right back.

"Let me deal with that if the problem arises, but the fact remains is that _I_ can't learn anything from Yugi anyway until _you_ spill your part in this story. So how about after school today, you can pick the place." Yami said grudgingly once again moving in Ryou's way as he tried to sneak out of the corner Yami had him in.

"Fine have it your way! After school, the park, happy?!" Ryou exclaimed stomping his foot a bit.

"Oh, yes, I'm completely overjoyed at discussing a serious subject with a teenager that acts like he's four. What is your problem, why do you dislike me so much?" Yami said rolling his eyes before glaring back at Ryou with his own fierce glare. Ryou opened his mouth to answer, but someone else beat him to the punch.

"Ryou, are you taking your anger towards me out on Yami again?" a lazy voice asked from behind Yami. Yami turned to see Bakura standing there, with a disappointed look on his face. Turning back, Yami saw Ryou look down at the ground, with a very guilty look on his face again.

"Yeah, that's what I thought. I'm sorry for Ryou's rude behavior, and I will make sure he shows up for his appointment with you this afternoon, so as to make up for it." Bakura said brushing past Yami and pulling Ryou away and down the hall.

"I still don't think he likes me." Yami muttered out after the two had left turning to leave himself.

"No, no, if he gets Ryou's story, then there is every possibility Yugi will hold to his word and give Sennen his story. I can't let that happen, no matter the cost, I have to send Yugi his _special_ _gift_, today. That way it'll arrive tomorrow, it'll be Yugi's only warning and he better listen to it and keep his mouth shut." A quiet girl's voice said peering around the corner at Yami leaving down the opposite side of the hallway. She watched to make sure no one else was around before heading to the infirmary, with full intentions on pretending to be sick, so she could get out of school to deliver that gift.

[Time skip]

"You ready to get this over with Ryou?" Yami asked paper out and pencil already poised to write. Ryou looked behind him to see Bakura watching from a good thirty feet away to make sure he didn't run off. Sighing he turned back to Yami.

"Yeah, guess I don't have a choice anyway. Three years, seventh grade, blah blah blah, we were all a big happy group of misfits, and then Yugi told us he was going to tell Rebecca he liked her. Everything fell apart after that, and I feel as if I'm most to blame for it. If I had asked others first if what I was told or heard were true, perhaps things might have been different. It started with Anzu Mazaki, but it could have ended with me." Ryou said with regret heavy in his voice.

_"Really Anzu? Yugi told Malik he liked him and they're going out next Friday? I thought Yugi liked Rebecca, guess I read the signals Yugi was giving off wrong. I can't wait to see the look on Jou's face when he hears this." Ryou said before running off._

_"Are you certain Ryou?" Jou asked of the smiling boy in disbelief._

_"Yes, Anzu said she saw it with her own eyes, Yugi asked out Malik and he said yes. They're going on a date this coming Friday, can you believe it? What do you think Marik's going to say when he hears?" Ryou asked excitement and nervousness entering his voice._

_"I don't know, but perhaps we should just keep a tight lid on this until we figure out if it's true or not. I mean wasn't Yugi trying to help get Marik and Malik together? Why would he jeopardize that by stepping in between them? It, it just doesn't make __sense__ Ryou." Jou said shaking his head in confusion._

_"I suppose…Okay, I won't tell anyone else." Ryou started uncertainly, before nodding his head in both affirmation and determination._

_"__And I didn't tell anyone else, and neither did Jou, but somehow, it still got around school. It still reached every corner of every hallway and classroom. That one rumor destroyed Yugi and Rebecca's friendship and almost destroyed Malik and Yugi's as well. I started to get a bad feeling as the week went on that it had something to do with what Anzu telling me having been a lie. I was trying to find her on the day before the roof incident when I ran into Kaiba. He had absent for several days and didn't know what was going on." The regret was still heavy in Ryou's voice; he was caring a lot of emotion from this event. This made Yami wonder if he had either ever apologized for his actions or if he knew something more than what the others knew. Needless to say, Yami was getting very curios now._

_"Hey, Ryou, what's with all these rumors going around about Yugi and Malik dating?" Kaiba asked Ryou in confusion._

_"I don't know, someone must have overheard something and spread them around. Jou and I swore to each other we were going to keep it on the down low, but somehow it got out anyway. Now we're trying to figure out who started it in the first place. Have you seen Anzu around? I need to talk with her." Ryou responded as he was horribly distracted with an inner conflict concerning his suspicions with Anzu._

_"No, I haven't. Are you alright Ryou?" Kaiba asked with mild concern lacing his voice._

_"Yeah, I'm fine; I just need to find Anzu." Ryou said before he rushed off._

"I wasn't fine, as the week had been going on, I was getting more and more worried that what Anzu had told me had been a straight up lie. Unfortunately I never found her, and found that the next day she was sick as well. Though, Anzu never got sick unless she was worrying about something, so it only confirmed my suspicions that Anzu had been lying when she told me that she saw Yugi ask Malik out with her own eyes. It only got worse from there as I ran into Jou, and he told me in a very short conversation, that he probably didn't even mention to you, that he saw Rebecca push Yugi off the roof. From him I ran into Honda, who is no longer friends with me, because I chose to believe Jou over him." Ryou was fully facing away from Yami now, like the thought of looking at him caused him some internal pain.

_"Ryou, Rebecca didn't push Yugi, it was someone else. Rebecca was on the ground of the roof top when Yugi was going over." Honda was trying in vain to make Ryou see what had really happened. _

_"But Jou said he saw her push him over!" Ryou said back, though both of their voices were rising._

_"JOU DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING BUT YUGI GOING OVER! WHYARE YOU SPREADING MORE RUMORS ABOUT OUR FRIENDS, ISN'T THERE ENOUGH OF THOSE GOING AROUND?!" Honda was now yelling at Ryou gaining the attention of many students around them._

_"IF YOU WERE A REAL FRIEND HONDA YOU WOULD BE THE ONE TELLING EVERYONE WHAT YOU __REALLY__ SAW, AND NOT WHAT YOU __THINK__ YOU SAW!"Ryou shouted back._

_"I know what I saw; it is you who saw nothing Ryou. You're only useful for second hand information." Honda growled out at him, before Ryou watched him walk away in a huff._

_Ryou glared right back marching off as well, where he came upon Vivian and Mai discussing something. Though from the way that they were discussing it, it sounded as if they didn't want anyone to know what they were talking about._

_"So all I have to do is sign my name on this little card and then everything will be fixed?" Vivian was asking Mai._

_"Yes, I promise, just your name, it's a get well teddy for Yugi." Mai said back._

_"But shouldn't it be from both of us?" Vivian asked._

_"Oh, no, I already delivered mine, and I thought maybe we should get him the same thing, since we're practically twins and all." Mai said back in a false cheerful voice._

_"Okay, I'll deliver it to him today after school then." Vivian said back, still looking at the teddy bear in her arms a little unsure about this plan._

_"Perfect, well I'll see you tomorrow then Viv." Mai said walking off waving to Vivian a little._

"I don't know why, but I felt the need to follow Mai at that point more than I did Vivian. Vivian had always been shy and quiet, but Mai, had always been cool and confident. Something didn't feel right, and I'm glad I did follow Mai instead of Vivian, I saved my friend from what could have been a lot of grief." Ryou said looking at Yami for the first time since starting his story. There was a hard unforgiving edge in his eyes.

_"__So you got that, the doctors said Yugi was positive for AIDS." Mai was telling the gabbiest of sixth graders at their school._

_"__That's enough Mai! Yugi does not have AIDS! What are you trying to pull?" Ryou said jumping out of his hiding spot and confronting Mai head on._

_"__I'm just telling these girls what I overheard the doctors say." Mai said uneasily._

_"__No, you're trying to damage Yugi in the worst possible way, why? What did he ever do to you?" Ryou demanded._

_"__That's none of your business." Mai snarled before stomping off._

_"__Do me a favor and forget what that girl told you, she's just jealous because Yugi likes Rebecca and not her. Plus I know she would do anything to make Yugi hers." Ryou explained gently to the girls turning to them. It was only after the words left his mouth that it finally clicked for him. Mai would do __anything__ to make Yugi hers, but just how far would she go, was the real question that he wanted the answer to. Surely, she wouldn't try to __kill__ anyone no that was just an absurd thought. There was no way Mai was crazy, even if she did have her moments at times. _

"I walked away from my friends for a while after that. I needed time to think what I was thinking about Mai over. Eventually I came to the decision, that though Mai is bit of a nut sometimes, there was no way she was a killer. So it must have been Rebecca who had pushed Yugi off, not her. Two weeks is all it took for our friendship to fall apart, or so I was told. I wasn't really friends with anyone at the time that Yugi came back to school, and our friendship officially fell apart. I was too busy contemplating over what Mai had tried to pull, and if she was capable of pulling more harmful actions." Ryou said shrugging before getting up.

"Is that all, Ryou?" Yami asked before the boy could walk away.

"Yes, that's it. Good luck with Yugi, you're going to need it. He holds the key to any questions you have left, but first you have to find his key, so you can open the so called padlock that is his mouth. Open his mouth, you get his story, fail, well I guess you're just like everyone else." Ryou said a harsh gleam in his eyes. He truly didn't believe he could get Yugi's story, well Yami would sure show him.

"Thanks for the heads up Ryou, but I'm sure I will do just fine." Yami said closing his notebook and stowing it and his pencil back in his bag. Yami walked home, determined to get Yugi's story right away. He was so close to figuring out who was the embodiment of Yugi's fear. Upon coming home though, he was met with one single sentence.

"I don't think it's such a good idea anymore."

**I would like to thank Jake for my first bit of constructive criticism, much appreciated. And yes, I know what you mean, it's starting to grate on me too. Anyway, Thank you to everyone who reviewed Guest and User alike. Also thanks to everyone who are/have following/favorited this story. We're almost at 350 reviews people, go us! Please review! Midnight ;p**


	32. Getting Yugi to talk 101

**As amusing as my title for this chapter is, this chapter is just the opposite. Right, I do not own Yugioh or the song if you're happy and you know it, enjoy.** [_FLASHBACK_]

Chapter 32

_"__I don't think it's such a good idea anymore."_

"What?" Yami asked in disbelief.

"I, it, it's not a good idea." Yugi said again.

"Yugi, you said you'd tell me your part after Ryou told me his. Well Ryou told me his, so now it's your turn." Yami explained with some annoyance leaking into his voice.

"Well, yeah but, I could get in trouble." Yugi said looking down at his hands.

"You could get in trouble?" Yami repeated back slowly.

"Yeah, so, um, we shouldn't talk about it." Yugi said back nervously.

Yami hadn't failed to notice that Yugi hadn't looked him in the eye once since arriving home. He was avoiding Yami's eyes like they were a plague he didn't want to catch. To be quite honest, Yami had had enough of it. Stepping forward, he took Yugi's face in between his hands, and forced Yugi to look at him.

"Who are you going to get in trouble with?" Yami asked calmly as he could.

Yugi just pressed his lips together and shook his head in what little space Yami's hands had left for him. He couldn't tell Yami that, he might get in trouble. He didn't want to get in trouble; he didn't want the threat carried out.

"Yugi, you need to talk about it." Yami said his voice starting to grate with aggravation.

"No, talking will only get me in trouble." Yugi said back immediately.

"Says who?" Yami asked back.

"No, no, no, no, no, no." Yugi kept repeating the word over again.

"Yugi! Come on! Just tell me!" Yami said lowering his hands to the boy's shoulders and giving him a slight shake.

"I can't, I can't." Yugi said shaking his head he was starting to hyperventilate.

"You have to tell someone! Keeping all this fear bottled up clearly isn't good for you. So talk to me Yugi, who do you fear?" Yami tried reasoning with Yugi.

"No! I can't!" Yugi exclaimed shoving Yami away and running up the stairs.

Yami waited five minutes down in the shop before taking a shortcut up to Yugi. He didn't use the puzzle incase Yugi was face down on the bed; instead he used the corner of Yugi's room. Stepping into Yugi's room, he found the boy just as he suspected face down on the bed. His face smashed into the pillow, Yami could hear muffled sobs. Yugi's body was quaking with the effort of trying to suppress those same sobs, but he was failing in his attempts.

Walking over to the bed, Yami swiftly scooped Yugi up, and sat down with Yugi in his lap. He cradled the boy with Yugi's face hidden in the crook of his neck. Yugi's tears soaked his neck and the collar of his shirt, dripping down his back and chest, the tears seemed never ending. Yami just rocked them back and forth waiting for Yugi to calm down.

Whoever it was that put this much fear into his Aibou was going to pay for it with their life. They had no business walking around breathing anymore, if Yugi was this frightened of them. So frightened he couldn't even talk about who or what it was that frightened him so much. Yami swore as he felt Yugi's tears subside and his breathing even out, that this mysterious person, was already dead. They had breathed their last breath when they had threatened Yugi's happy nature, and taken all feelings of safety away from him.

[Time skip]

Yami had long since tucked Yugi into his bed, but he wasn't sleeping himself. He was trying to pick through Yugi's mind, however from this recent attack of Yugi's emotions the barriers Yugi had were ten times stronger than normal. After five minutes of fruitless efforts, Yami gave up and just watched Yugi sleep. It was strange to Yami how well he could fall into a favorite old past time of his, and not find it strange, despite how much he had learned about the boy.

Yugi's face was peaceful, like an angel's from heaven. Yami could never get enough time looking at it. He just wished it looked this peaceful all the time. Yami remembered a time, when Yugi had been this joyful boy once, all charm and smiles all the time. That was years ago, Yami wished he had paid more attention to Yugi when he was falling apart. Perhaps if he had, he would already know who it was haunted his steps, dreams, and thoughts, but he hadn't. When he saw Yugi falling apart, he had thought it to be a phase; if he could get a do over he wouldn't make that same mistake again.

Yami watched Yugi all night and a little into the morning. Yugi never stirred and asked him to stop staring once, during the entire night, something that worried Yami greatly. Yugi always asked him to go away because he was trying to sleep, but Yugi never stirred. As the early sun was rising Yami remembered what the Mystical Elf had told him about Yugi's mind, after she had healed him the first time.

_"Is he not healed all the way yet?" Yami asked concerned._

_"No he is, physically, but mentally, he has many scars. I'm not sure if you will be able to mend all of them, but it can't hurt to try." The Mystical Elf responded in her lithe voice, before she too vanished._

Mentally, Yugi was injured far worse than he ever was physically. The root of that injury lay with whoever put the fear of God into this boy. Yami was going to return that favor; he would put the fear of himself into them, before he killed them. He wasn't yet sure how he was going to accomplish this, but he would.

Yami watched as the sunlight from Yugi's skylight slowly hit the boy's face and those beautiful amethyst gems opened up slowly to meet his own gaze. The sun lit them up with a light sparkly glow. Yami was mesmerized as he just stared into Yugi's eyes; they had never looked so beautiful before to him. They had never seemed so care free and pure of any worry or fear for so long, that Yami had forgotten what it looked like in the boy's eyes. Though, as those eyes started to focus in on him, that worry and fear came back tenfold.

It saddened Yami slightly to see Yugi's eyes look at him in such a way, but he supposed he did deserve it in a way. After last night, he didn't know what he expected. For Yugi to just need a night to sleep on it, and then he would tell him? Surely he wasn't that foolish, and if he had been, than he truly was a fool. Getting up from the floor, Yami patted Yugi's shoulder.

"Come on, we need to get ready for school." Yami said as gently as he could.

Yami saw some of the fear and worry lessen in Yugi's eyes, but it was still there. The two boys each got dressed and ate breakfast together, but it was quiet morning. If some stranger had walked in on them that morning they would have probably thought someone had died, from how quiet it was. Then again, it would probably be safe to say that someone had, in a way, died. A bit of Yugi's spirit, that little spark to his anger and fighting instincts. Yugi was nothing more than a docile person at the moment, a puppet on strings, as he was led by Yami out of the house and to school.

[Time skip]

"Talk to me Yugi." Yami said quietly again as they were eating lunch. Well Yami was eating; Yugi was playing with his food.

Yugi shook his head, as he played with his peas. Stirring them around on his tray, he watched them roll all over in their little square of space. Yugi hadn't looked at Yami again since this morning, but the few glimpses Yami had caught of those eyes, they looked dead. There was no emotion in them at all, Yugi had lost whatever fighting spirit he had had left.

Now one would think that this would make it easier for Yami to get Yugi's story. It had quite the opposite effect, as Yugi was as unwilling to talk as a mute person was unable to. Yugi's lips just remained shut, like someone had glued them together, and shook his head every time Yami asked or told him to talk.

Yami couldn't find it in him to be annoyed or frustrated with Yugi's answer anymore. He had long since lost the energy for those emotions sometime during Karu Sensei's lecture. He had been using the mind link to try to get Yugi to talk, but all Yami received was Yugi singing something over and over again. He knew the song by heart now, though not what it was called.

_If you're happy and you know it clap your hands._

_If you're happy and you know it clap your hands._

_If you're happy and you know it, than your face will surely show it._

_If you're happy and you know it clap your hands._

Over and over again Yugi sang that song, with a dull stupor. So much so that Yami found himself singing along during Seki Sensei's lecture. That's around the time that Yugi stopped singing it, and just let Yami take over. His singing filling both of their heads until Yami stopped when he realized that Yugi was no longer singing with him.

Yami kept either asking if Yugi wanted to talk or telling Yugi to talk to him all day. Even in gym, he found his attention divided as he asked and told Yugi to talk to him. Unfortunately this caused him to get hit several times with a ball as they were playing dodge ball again. Dividing his attention in gym, wasn't one of the top most intelligent things to do on his list. It was on his one of the stupider things to do list.

Yami picked Yugi up from the Library when classes for the day were over. Yugi gingerly touched Yami's cheek where there was a slight bruise from one of the many balls that were whipped at him. Yami looked down at him and let Yugi caress his cheek, standing still, so as not to do anything that would make Yugi retreat back into whatever shell he was hiding in.

It seemed that Yugi crawling back into his shell was inevitable though, as he lowered his hand, and just stood there in front of Yami, not even moving. Yami sighed and took his hand and started to lead him home, making sure to stop at their lockers first to grab both his and Yugi's stuff.

"You want to talk?" Yami asked for the umpteenth time that day.

It received the same answer as all the other time he had asked, a simple head shake. Yugi was looking at the ground as they walked home. Yami had a feeling that if he wasn't holding Yugi's hand, Yugi wouldn't be walking at all.

As they were coming home, Yami noticed a small box on the step underneath the mailbox. Still holding Yugi's hand he walked forward and picked it up. Seeing Yugi's name on it, he handed it to the boy, and put both of his hands on his shoulders and led him inside.

Yugi shook off Yami's hands as soon as they were inside the shop, and went to get a box cutter. He opened the box and looked inside. The box fell out of Yugi's hands as it fell through his suddenly shaking and numb hands. Turning slowly, he faced Yami, looking at him with dulled and dead eyes.

"I think I'm ready to talk now." Yugi whispered out in a hoarse and fear filled voice. Then Yugi walked up the stairs to the living area.

Yami's eyes narrowed as his eyebrows furrowed. He walked forward in three precise steps and picked up the package. In it sitting too innocently for Yami's liking was a teddy bear with a white rose, and a card with four words written on it in an elegant hand written message.

_Keep your mouth shut._

**The next chapter will be really long, so I hope you guys don't mind. Also I won't be updating either tdc or tece until I've completed this story, which I'm going to attempt within the next three weeks. Thanks to everyone who are/have following/favorited this story. Also thanks to everyone who reviewed Guest and User alike. Please review! Midnight ;p**


	33. Yugi's part: part 1

**Okay, how I'm doing Yugi's part is a little different. Instead of giving you guys the gist of what happened I'm going to give you a full dialogue flashback, which is why this is longer. The only commentary will be from Yugi and Yami and it shall be in mind link format. Right anyway I do not own Yugioh, Ordinary Day by Vanessa Carlton, Watch Me Shine by Joanna Pacitti, Cannibal by Ke$ha, and Love the Way You Lie by Eminem ft. Rhianna, enjoy! [YAMI and ****_YUGI_****]**

Chapter 33

"Sit Yami, and throw that stupid bear away." Yugi said in a slightly shaky but still somehow firm voice.

Yami tossed the bear in a random direction and sat down on the couch. He pulled out his paper and pencil and waited for Yugi to stop pacing and start talking. Yugi didn't stop pacing, but he did start talking.

[Monday]

_Yugi woke up that morning same as he always did, to music. Today's song was Ordinary Day by Vanessa Carlton, and it was one of Yugi's favorites, so he started to sing along with it._

_And he said take my hand, _

_Live while you can_

_Don't you see your dreams lie in the palm of your hand_

_In the palm of your hand._

_Please come with me, _

_See what I see._

_Touch the stars for time will not flee._

_Time will not flee._

_Can you see?_

**Ugh, I remember this song; you were singing it at the top of your lungs.**

**_Do you want the story or not?_**

**Continue.**

_"__Today's the day; today I'm going to tell her! I'm going to tell her how I feel! Nothing shall stand in my way of telling Rebecca how I feel about her; I just hope she reciprocates my feelings." Yugi said to his reflection as he brushed through his hair._

_Just a day, just an ordinary day_

_Just trying to get by._

_Just a boy, just an ordinary boy._

_But he was looking to the sky._

_"__Yugi! Hurry up! You don't want to be late do you?!" Grandpa shouted down the hallway._

_"__Yeah Grandpa! I'm coming!" Yugi shouted back as he rushed back into his bedroom and grabbed his bag and jacket. Yugi turned to the darkest corner of his room, and tilted his head slightly, before smiling._

_"__Wish me luck creepy corner! I hope she says yes!" Yugi said waving to it before high tailing it out of the room. He never heard nor saw the 'creepy corner' make a slight offended noise or it get lighter with slight interest._

**Creepy corner?**

**_What else was I supposed to call it, well you? You hadn't attempted to make contact with me or anything._**

**Hmm, fair enough, continue.**

_Yugi raced down the stairs grabbing his toast of a plate that his Grandpa held out for him on the way and shoving it in his mouth to eat on his way to run to school. The middle school was closer than the high school but only barely. Where for the high school you walked straight for ten blocks, the middle school you walked straight for five, made a right turn and walked straight for two more and then you were there._

_Yugi raced on the grounds as the janitor Larry held the gate open for him. Yugi swallowed the rest of his toast and smiled sheepishly at him. Larry shut the gate and then turned to Yugi._

_"__Cutting it a little close, don't you think?"Larry asked._

_"__Sorry, I was giving myself a pep talk in the mirror this morning. I've decided to take your advice, I'm going to ask her, today. I mean what have I got to lose?" Yugi replied back biting his bottom lip a little, before perking up._

_"__A friendship?" Larry offered._

_"__Well, besides that." Yugi said back frowning._

_"__Nothing!" Larry said promptly._

_"__Exactly! Well I have to get to class; I'll try to catch you after school to tell you how it went!" Yugi said starting to make his way towards the building._

_"__I look forward to it!" Larry said waving at him. Yugi waved back and made his way into the building where he almost immediately ran into a classmate of his named Mai Valentine._

_"__Oh, hey Mai, have you seen Malik or Honda around? We need to work on our project together." Yugi greeted her and then asked a question._

_"__Hi Yugi, yeah they were headed up to the Library." Mai said back._

_"__Thank you." Yugi said with a big smile before rushing off._

_"__You're welcome." Mai said back quietly smiling._

_Yugi raced up the steps to the Library and headed over to their usual table. There he found Honda already on the computer looking things up for the project and Malik was coming back from the shelves with books in his hands. Yugi rushed forward and took some from his hands, and placed them on the table._

_"__Hey guys, I've decide to finally do it." Yugi said as a means to open up a conversation._

_"__Do what?" Honda asked._

_"__I'm going to do it today; I'm going to confess to Rebecca Hawkins."Yugi confessed to his two friends._

_"Are you sure that's a good idea Yug'? I mean you've been friends for years, what if she doesn't even want to be your friend anymore?" Malik asked Yugi. _

_"Well, yeah it's a risk, but one I'm willing to make. If I don't tell her, I'll always wonder what if? I'm going to tell her today." Yugi explained back._

_"Well good luck Yug'!" Honda said clapping Yugi on the back._

_"Thanks Honda, I sure hope she'll still want to be my friend even if she doesn't feel the same way." Yugi said with a small smile before walking off to find Rebecca. She had study sessions in the Library right now too._

_After scouring the Library for a half an hour Yugi resignedly made his way back to his table. Yugi helped to work on the project for the rest of study time before they had to make their way down to lunch. Even though they were friends, they never sat together in certain days, today was one of them. Malik went to sit with Ryou, Bakura, and Marik, everyone knew that Marik was trying to woo Malik into dating him, so they made a pact to sit together twice a week. To get to know each other better, but Yugi was the one whom had given Marik the idea in the first place, he was happy to see how well it was working out for them. Jou, Honda and Kaiba sat together at another table. Kaiba had recently asked Jou out and that was after the taller male had kissed the blonde. Rebecca and Anzu sat with Mai and Vivian, and Yugi knew better than to try to ask her out in front of her friends, Rebecca hated public displays of affection. Dating, and asking her out on dates fell under that category. Which left Yugi to sit with the Duel Monsters Club, he was President of the Club after all, so it would be bad if he didn't show up to the lunch room meetings. By lunch room meetings he really meant abandon the food and duel instead._

_**Why don't you duel anymore?**_

_**Later.**_

_As the day went on, he thought perhaps it would have been better to just risk asking her out in the lunchroom after all, since he wasn't finding her anywhere else. Though, finally he caught glimpse of her pigtails making their way to the back gates. If Yugi didn't know any better he'd almost say that the girl was trying to avoid him or something. Running to catch up, he was able to corner her behind the gym._

_"Rebecca, I've been looking for you everywhere. I have something need to tell you. Rebecca, I like you, will you go out with me?" Yugi asked._

_"Yugi, I'm sorry, but I don't feel the same way for you, but I don't want to ruin our friendship either. Do you think there may be a way for us to still be friends, without it getting awkward?" Rebecca replied apologetically._

_"Of, course, to be quite truthful, I'd rather have some form of a relationship anyway. Even if it is just friends, I'd much rather have a friendly relationship with you, then not have one at all." Yugi replied with a small smile._

_"Thanks Yugi, I hoped I could trust you to understand." Rebecca replied back, with a small smile of her own, she reached forward and gave Yugi a hug. _

_Yugi was in heaven in that hug, He hadn't expected it, but accepted it gladly. Though when the hug was over they both had to get home, as both of their Grandpa's were bound to be worried about them, and that was if they hadn't taken off again on another adventure. They were known to do that, just take off without telling them, and leaving a note for both of them to find when they got to their respective homes. Before Yugi left though, he went in search of Larry, to tell him what had happened. On his way there he ran into Mai, and she had the most interesting news for Yugi. _

_"__Oh hey Yugi, is it true?" Mai asked him as soon as she saw him, Mai wasn't known to be shy with her words._

_"__Yeah, she turned me down." Yugi said back with some sadness added to his voice._

_"__Who did?" Mai asked confused._

_"__Rebecca." Yugi said back._

_"__What are you talking about? That's not what I heard." Mai asked confusion evident in her voice._

_"__Well, what __did__ you hear?" Yugi asked._

_"__That you and Malik are dating." She explained._

**So that's where you heard it from, you heard it from Mai.**

**_Hush you, I'm talking._**

_"__I'm sorry, what?" Yugi said blinking owlishly at her after a few beats of silence for this information to sink in._

_"__Is it not true?" Mai asked._

_"__Not that I'm aware of. I mean, I don't know what you're talking about, I'm not sure if Malik does, but I don't. Does anybody else know about this?" Yugi said confusion written in every move he made._

_"__Yeah, at least twenty people told me, and ten told them." Mai said back casually._

_"__Okay, do me a favor and don't tell anybody. Can you do that for me, please?" Yugi asked in a frazzled tone._

_"__Sure, I won't tell a soul." Mai said back cheerfully like she was happy to help._

_"__Great, I'll see you tomorrow." Yugi said back waving and running off, completely forgetting about talking to Larry. He had to get to the bottom of this before it got out of control. _

_Yugi paced back and forth ignoring the feeling of being watched in his own bedroom. He already knew his creepy corner was watching him. How this was possible was beyond him, but since it was just a dark space, he didn't let it bother him too much. Now if it started talking or making his room turn funny colors, than he might have a problem with it, but until such a thing occurred, he was okay with the strange feeling. _

**Do I bother you now?**

**_Immensely so._**

**Good.**

_Mai had heard from a group of people that Malik and he were dating. This was the biggest bunch of lies he had ever heard, but did Malik have anything to do with them, or did someone else start them? _

_Releasing a breath Yugi collapsed back onto his bed. This was starting to make his head hurt. He had known Malik for years, he wouldn't do something like this to their friendship, or at least he hoped he wouldn't. He would just have to talk to him tomorrow; right now he needed a good night's sleep._

[Tuesday]

_Yugi got up to a new song, this one seemed to fit his mood perfectly. Watch Me Shine by Joanna Pacitti. Who cared if it was about a girl taking control? That's what Yugi needed to do with his life right now, so he was going to sing the chorus without a single bit of embarrassment._

_So from my head to toe_

_My mind body and soul_

_I'm taking full control_

_This time._

_Better watch out_

_Going for the knockout_

_And I won't stop_

_Till I'm top now_

_Not gonna give up _

_Until I get what's mine._

_Better check that I'm about to upset_

_And I'm hot now_

_So you better step back_

_I'm taking over_

_So watch me shine._

**You had so much energy when you sang that song.**

**_Would you stop interrupting me already?_**

**I'm just making a comment.**

**_Keep your comments to yourself._**

_Yeah, Yugi was pumped up; he was ready for anything that the day was ready to throw at him. He had a bounce in his step as he made his way to school; he was just ready to get to the bottom of this rumor he heard yesterday. Yeah, Yugi felt he could handle anything sent his way, well maybe if that anything hadn't been a peeved Malik._

_"Hey Yugi! You hear of the rumor that's been going around? The one concerning us?" Malik asked as soon as Yugi saw him. Yugi flipped, without even really thinking things through, he started to yell at Malik._

_"I can't believe you started a rumor like that Malik! If you had feelings for me, why didn't you say something?!" Yugi yelled at Malik_

_"You knew I liked Marik, so why come up with this cock 'o' bull story of us dating Yugi!? You ruined everything!" Malik yelled right back._

_"You are the worst friend in the universe Malik!" Yugi shouted right back._

_"I'm the worst friend? I'm not the one starting cheap ass rumors to get attention!" Malik screamed right back._

_"Whoa! Wait a minute; you didn't say we were dating?" Yugi threw his hands out in front of him before stating a question in a very angry tone._

_"Of course not! Why would I ruin my chances with Marik like that?" Malik responded back angrily._

_"Wait so…if you didn't say it, and I didn't say it, who did?"Yugi asked the tension leaving his shoulders like someone pulled the plug in a tub full of water._

_"Wait, so you __didn't__ start it?"Malik asked with some slight confusion lacing his tone._

_"Why would I deliberately harm one of my friends like that?" Yugi asked in slightly annoyed tone._

_"I suppose that does seem really out of character for you." Malik said slowly._

_Yugi simply shook his head as an awkward silence breached their space of conflict. It was only when they were silent that they had noticed that they had drawn in a large crowd. After looking around at the crowd, both Malik's and Yugi's eyes met again, and both boys burst out in laughter. Here they were fighting over the same thing, and they hadn't even realized it. They had been too busy yelling at each other until they were nearly hoarse._

_"Let's find the scoundrel that believes it's okay to try to ruin friendships." Malik suggested._

_"Yes, let's." Yugi said linking arms with Malik and the two marched out of the crowd and away from it just like that._

_Malik and Yugi were working alone in the Library, and Malik had to go get some stuff for the project, leaving Yugi alone at the table. That's where Rebecca found him, and their conversation didn't go like how Yugi imagined it would. It went worse than he could have ever grasped. _

_"Yugi, there you are, I thought I might find you here in the Library. Listen we need to talk." Rebecca started to say, before Yugi politely raised his hand to stop her._

_"Rebecca, it's not true, I'm not dating Malik, but I promise you I intend to get to the bottom of these rumors." Yugi said, almost like he thought that that would be the end of it. He couldn't have been more wrong._

_"Oh, no it's alright Yugi, I already figured it out, someone dared you to ask me out didn't they? Or maybe you lost a bet with Malik, and the consequence was asking me out. The only thing I can't believe is that you would actually risk our friendship and go through with it." Rebecca said like it was no big deal. From the furrowed look of Yugi's eyebrows, he wasn't buying it._

_"Rebecca, you should __know_ _me better than that, you honestly think I would do something so mean to a friend?" Yugi's voice was slightly strained trying to get his important point across, unfortunately for him, it fell upon deaf ears._

_"It's alright, really Yugi, you don't have to lie anymore. I get it you liked Malik too, and when I turned you down you then went to ask him to go out with you, and he said yes." Rebecca waved away what he had just said, like it was no big deal._

_"Rebecca, you're not listening to me. Malik and I aren't dating. It's a vicious rumor that someone is spreading around, Malik and I are trying to get to the bottom of it as quickly as we can, but no one seems to know where it originated from. Have you heard anything Rebecca? Even the tiniest of details will help us get to the bottom of this." Yugi was trying to get her to understand, but she was starting to become angry, so it was really like Yugi was talking to a brick wall, instead of a human being._

_"I'm done with the lies you're trying to feed me Yugi. I thought you of all people would have the __decency__ to tell me the truth, I guess I was wrong. So you and Malik can go have fun screwing each other, you seem to be really good at it already Yugi. However, you know what they say, practice makes perfect."Rebecca said vindictively, and then rushed out of the Library nearly in tears._

_"__Rebecca! Rebecca, Come back! Rebecca! Listen to me! I had nothing to do with it! Rebecca!" Yugi shouted out through the Library in anger and hurt. Malik came running back to their table at the loud sound of his voice._

_"__Yugi, what's wrong?" Malik asked in concern._

_"__Nothing, don't worry about it. I have to find Rebecca, cover for me?"Yugi replied distracted before turning serious eyes on Malik._

_"__Of course." Malik said back._

_"__Thanks." Was Yugi's short response before running after her. He didn't find Rebecca but he did see Vivian coming out of the girls' bathroom, perhaps she had seen her._

_"__Hey Vivian, have you seen Rebecca?" Yugi asked running up to her._

_"__Yeah, she was in the bathroom, but she's not anymore." Vivian said back stiffly._

_"__Thanks, did you see which way she went?" Yugi asked?_

_"__No, I was in the bathroom when she did leave." Vivian said back._

_"__Right, thanks." Yugi said back in reply, a small forced smile on his face._

_Yugi couldn't find Rebecca for the rest of the day after that, and perhaps it was better that he couldn't. Rebecca had been really upset, and while Yugi needed her to understand that what she heard was a malicious rumor, he also knew she needed her space. So he intended to give it to her for as long as he could. He was just that nice of a guy, to respect what people needed before worrying about his own needs._

[Wednesday]

_The song Yugi woke up to was Cannibal by Ke$ha. Since he was Bi, he had no problem singing this song. It didn't hurt that this was one of Yugi's favorites either._

_I eat boys up, breakfast and lunch_

_Then when I'm thirsty, I drink their blood_

_Carnivore animal, I am a Cannibal_

_I eat boys up, you better run_

_I am Cannibal_

_I am Cannibal (I'll eat you up)_

_I am Cannibal_

_I am Cannibal (I'll eat you up)_

**I never liked you singing that song, it showed you had a darker side.**

**_Keep it up Yami, and I'll show you an even darker side than that._**

**Really? Like what, Aibou?**

**_The couch._**

**Shutting up.**

**_I thought you might._**

_Nothing really happened on Wednesday besides Yugi and Malik trying to get more information from people about the rumor concerning them. Marik and Yugi talked, and he was able to get him to understand that what he heard was a rumor. Other than that, the day was pretty uneventful. _

[Thursday]

_Waking up that morning Yugi's room was filled with the song Love the Way You Lie by Eminem ft Rhianna. Yugi sang Rhianna's part because he couldn't rap that well and he didn't exactly like the language Eminem used either._

_Juts gonna stand there and watch me burn_

_But that's alright because I love the way it hurts._

_Just gonna stand there and hear me cry_

_But that's alright because I love the way you lie._

_I love the way you lie._

**Kinda fits into your story in weird sick twisted way.**

**_Yami!_**

**Sorry.**

_The day was more eventful than the one before what with running into Honda. He made it more eventful, for Yugi as he accused him of jumping Malik and lying to Rebecca. Yugi made sure to put his mind at ease right away though. With the rumor still flying around, Yugi was starting to get sick of explaining himself, and so was Malik._

_"Hey Yugi, is it true that you and Malik are dating? Did you change your mind about confessing to Rebecca, or were you planning to confess to Malik all along?" Honda asked a little bit of anger leaking through into his voice as he approached Yugi near the lockers._

_"I don't know what you're talking about Honda. I told __Rebecca__ I liked her. She told me she didn't feel the same way, but she didn't want to ruin our friendship either, so was there some way we could work things out. I said yes, because I would rather have a friendly relationship with her, than not have one at all. I don't know where these stories are coming from and Malik is just as confused as I am." Yugi said to Honda as they were walking to Yugi's locker _

_"You think maybe someone heard you wrong Yug'? Like maybe they only caught the tail end of your conversation?" Honda asked stopping at Yugi's locker with him._

_"Well, if they did, I wouldn't know how they got Malik mixed up in the picture. I was clearly with a girl with bright blonde hair, not sandy blonde. I mean Malik's hot and all, but I just don't swing in his direction of type, and I __know__ I don't swing in his. It's dead obvious that Malik likes Marik and vice versa, but with this rumor going around, Marik's backed off. Everyone knows that Marik won't go after someone who's taken, but that's kind of the problem, because Malik __isn't__ taken, least of all by me. I just wish I knew where this rumor originated from. Come on Honda we better hurry or Malik's going to throw a fit if we're late to the Library, __again__." Yugi said talking intensely with Honda, who noticed that Anzu didn't even say hello to them. Not even a nod in their direction._

_"Do you think you'll be able to stop this rumor? I mean it's been alive for two days now." Honda asked as they ran through the hallways to the Library._

_"It'll probably take a lot of work, but all things die with time. Come on we need to find our dramatic partner." Yugi said back as the two walked into the Library._

_"Huh, dramatic indeed." Honda said back with a smile on his lips._

_"__Hey, Malik, have you talked to Anzu today she was acting kind of weird when we passed her in the hallway." Yugi said as soon as he and Honda sat down._

_"__No, but what do you mean by weird?" Malik questioned._

_"__She just let Honda and I walk by her without even saying hi." Yugi said back._

_"__You don't think she had something to do with…?" Malik suggested._

_"__Okay, she might be acting strange, but we don't have any proof that she had anything to do with it."Yugi said back trying to get rid of the thought before it began. Though, he would be lying if he said he wasn't thinking the same thing._

_"__Okay, I'll talk to her later, find out what's going on." Malik said with determination in his voice._

_"__You do that." Yugi said back._

_The three boys finished up their project that day, even though they had another two weeks until it was due. Though, none of the boys were procrastinators, so that might have had to something to do with them getting the project done earlier. Yugi went home with a feeling of accomplishment, and while his evening might have started out peaceful it didn't stay that way._

_Around 9:26 pm, Yugi received a call from one of his friends Kaiba. Yugi's mood plummeted from happy and cheerful to disappointed and angry. All thanks to one person, who had he previously defended of having any ill acts towards him._

_"Hello? Kaiba?" Yugi's answered his cell phone._

_"Yugi, I have something need to tell you, and it isn't easy for me to do so either." Kaiba said worry lacing his tone on the other line._

_"Okay, what is it?" Yugi asked curiosity in his voice._

_"Anzu Mazaki started those rumors about you and Malik." Kaiba got straight to the point and told him._

_"Yeah, I was kind of coming to the same conclusion myself, but I had no proof to back it up."Yugi said in a weary voice._

_Kaiba was silent on the other line. Yugi figured he was allowing him to take it in. When it did, officially, sink in, he started to wonder how Kaiba knew. _

_"Wait, how did you find out?" Yugi asked suspicious now._

_"I hacked into the schools security cameras." Kaiba said back in a robotic voice._

_"Oh, I see, when?" Yugi asked in a monotone voice._

_"20 minutes ago." Kaiba said back._

_"Oh, I thought you had known for a while now, and were only just telling me. Does Malik or Rebecca know?" Yugi said in an abashed tone, before asking an important question._

_"I'm calling them next to tell them." Kaiba said._

_"No." Yugi said perhaps a bit too quickly._

_"Sorry?" Kaiba asked scarcely believing what he hard._

_"I mean, I'll tell Rebecca, and you can tell Malik. Rebecca's and I's relationship is sitting on the edge of a knife, if I don't tell her, I might lose her as a friend. I don't think I would be able to live with something like that. We've been tight since our Grandpa's introduced us, I can't lose her as a friend, I just can't." Yugi's voice was starting to break, revealing just how badly these rumors were affecting him._

_"Okay, I'll let you tell Rebecca, but I'm calling Malik tonight." Kaiba said in a stern voice._

_"Thank you Kaiba. You're a really good friend when you want to be, you know that, right?" Yugi asked before he hung up._

_Once he hung up, Yugi vowed he was going to tell Rebecca tomorrow. He wasn't sure how she was going to take it, he just hoped she listened. Listening wasn't one of Rebecca's strong points, but he hoped that this one, she did. _

_"__Please, __please__, just let her listen. Just listen to me, __please__." Yugi prayed to the room._

**And this is where I'm going to end it since we are now on page 13. As for the one line that seems to be in a different font than all the rest, sorry about that, I still don't know what went wrong, but I'm working on it. Don't worry there is still lots more to come. Next up we have the roof incident, hospital fight, revelations, and Yugi returning to school. So there is still plenty to come, and you guys should be happy I didn't leave you at a horrible cliffhanger, cause I was thinking about it. Anyway, thank you everyone who have/are favorite/following this story. Also thanks to everyone who reviewed Guest and User alike. Please review, the more you review the faster the next chapter will appear. Midnight ;p**

**Yugi: so they don't get to find out this chapter?**

**No.**

**Yugi: next chapter?**

**Yes.**

**Yugi: cool!**

**Yami: EVIL WOMAN! I WANT TO KNOW NOW!**

**[Laughing]**


	34. Yugi's part: part 2

**Here we are, Yugi's second part. I don not own Yugioh, or World So Cold by 12 Stones. You guys should listen to this song as you read the story at least once, it really helps to set the tone for the chapter. Enjoy! [YAMI, ****_YUGI, _****and _AUTHOR'S UNWANTED INPUT_]**

Chapter 34

_Yugi woke up to something different that morning, his favorite radio's host smooth voice telling him of a new song he was playing. It had been forever since he had last woken up to Heba's voice, an old neighbor of his. Yugi could get lost in that voice, but then again, so could everyone else who knew him. _

_"__This song goes out to everyone who's having a hard time right now. Whether it be school troubles, rumor troubles, troubles at home, or just plain troubles in general, this song is for you. I know you'll get through it boys, you always do." Heba was saying. If that didn't sound directed at Yugi and his friends, he didn't know what would._

_"__This song is called World So Cold by 12 Stones. Thanks for being with me this morning my early birds; this is Heba on Smooth Tones 67.9. You all enjoy your morning." Heba said before the song started to play._

_It starts with pain  
Followed by hate  
Fueled by the endless questions  
No one can answer  
A stain covers your heart  
And tears you apart  
Just like a sleeping cancer_

_No I don't believe men are born to be killers_  
_I don't believe that the world can't be saved_  
_How did you get there and when did it start_  
_An innocent child with a thorn in his heart_

_What kind of world do we live in_  
_Where love is divided by hate_  
_Losing control of our feeling_  
_We all must be dreaming this life away_  
_In a world so cold_

_Are you sane_  
_Where is the shame_  
_A moment of time passes by_  
_You cannot rewind_  
_Who's to blame_  
_And where did it start_  
_Is there a cure for your sickness_  
_Have you no heart_

_No I don't believe men are born to be killers_  
_I don't believe that the world can't be saved_  
_How did you get here and when did it start_  
_An innocent child with a thorn in his heart_

_What kind of world do we live in_  
_Where love is divided by hate_  
_Losing control of our feeling_  
_We're dreaming this life away_  
_What kind of world do we live in_  
_Where love is divided by hate_  
_Selling our soul for no reason_  
_We all must be dreaming this life away_  
_In a world so cold_

_There's a sickness inside you that wants to escape_  
_It's a feeling you get when you can't find your way_  
_So how many times must you fall to your knees_  
_Never, never, never, never_  
_Never do this again_

_It starts with pain_  
_Followed by hate_  
_No I don't believe men are born to be killers_  
_I don't believe that the world can't be saved_

_What kind of world do we live in_  
_Where love is divided by hate_  
_Losing control of our feeling_  
_We're dreaming this life away_  
_What kind of world do we live in_  
_Where love is divided by hate_  
_Selling our soul for no reason_  
_We all must be dreaming this life away_  
_In a world so cold_  
_In a world so cold_

**That song gave me the chills.**

**_Yami, you're doing it again._**

**Sorry.**

_Yugi just sat on his bed listening, because he didn't know the words to the song. Once it was over, he didn't really see how this was supposed to help him. The only thing he felt was that today was going to go one of two ways, bad or awful. He hoped it was just a bad day, accidents happened on awful days. The last time it had felt like an awful day for him, his Mother never came home. Still, something dreadful was bound to happen today, and he wasn't one to mess with dreadful. Whatever happened to day, would happen, there was nothing anyone could do about it, but be prepared and aware of their surroundings. Besides he had promised Kaiba he would tell Rebecca, and he never broke a promise._

_Throwing the covers off, Yugi started to get ready for the day, making sure he was out the door a little earlier than usual to try to catch Rebecca on the way. He didn't quite make it, she was already rushing into the school gates by the time he caught sight of her. By the time he himself got to the school gates, Rebecca had vanished. _

_Yugi wandered the halls looking for her, and asked people along the way if they had seen her. Many people said no, the ones who did say yes, just told him 'that way'. They weren't very helpful in his quest to find Rebecca. One person was however, Vivian Wong, they didn't have any classes together, but at least he knew her face and name._

_Yugi had slammed his fist into the wall in his frustrations. She didn't make a sound as she came quietly around the corner. Yugi only knew she was there, because she had placed a hand upon his shoulder._

_"__Yugi?" a girl asked quietly from behind him, placing a hand upon his shoulder._

_"__Ah! Oh, Vivian, you scared me." Yugi said jumping and placing hand upon his chest._

_"__Are you okay?" She asked with legitimate concern in her voice and in her eyes._

_"__Yeah, I'm just looking for Rebecca Hawkins have you seen her?" Yugi asked._

_"__Oh, yeah, she went up to the middle roof top." Vivian said back with a smile._

_"__Really? Thank you, that really helps." Yugi said turning to leave._

_"__It's a shame." Vivian said from behind him, making him pause and turn back to her._

_"__What is?" Yugi asked her._

_"__That she turned you down. I mean, what girl wouldn't want you to be their boyfriend really?" Vivian said and then asked a question with a strange tone in her voice._

_"__W e were friends for years before I asked. That's all she saw me as, a friend." Yugi said back solemnly._

_"__But every girl wants you to be their boyfriend, I hear girls gush about it all the time. About how they only wish you would ask them out. Everyone wants you Yugi." Vivian tried to reassure him. _

_Yugi looked down at the floor for a half of a minute, before looking back up. Yugi's eyes had the most peculiar emotion in them, it couldn't be pinpointed to what it was exactly, but it was there. It was in his voice too, underlying his casual tone._

_"__Not everyone feels that way." Yugi said causally before walking off._

**Yugi? Why'd you stop?**

**_If I could take back anything I said to her, it would have been those words._**

**Why?**

_Yugi ran up to the roof, getting two detentions on the way for running in the hallways. He didn't care though; his main priority was telling Rebecca the truth. Running up the stairs, and bursting onto the roof, Yugi paused to catch his breath, before looking around for the ever elusive Rebecca. _

_"Rebecca, I need to tell you something." Yugi said as soon as he spotted her by the edge of the roof._

_"What could you possibly want from me now, Yugi?" Rebecca replied with anger and wariness in her tone._

_"It was Anzu, Anzu Mazaki, she started that rumor when she saw us hugging after you turned me down. Apparently, she told Ryou, who told Jou, who told Honda, who congratulated Malik, who asked what the heck he was talking about. Kaiba just told me, and now I'm telling you." Yugi explained, to Rebecca who just stared at him like he had grown a second head._

_"You actually expect me to believe that pack of bullwhips?" Rebecca asked him._

_"Rebecca, I'm telling you the __truth__, what reason would I have to lie to you?" Yugi asked in a frustrated tone._

_"You're just saying these things to try to save our already ruined friendship; I heard you told the others that we are no longer friends, and that you wouldn't want to be friends with a girl like me anyway." Rebecca lied, while shouting at Yugi._

_"I never said __anything__ of the such Rebecca, it's probably just another rumor that's going around. Why can't you believe what __I'm__ telling you, instead of what you __hear__ others __telling__ you?" Yugi shouted right back._

_"It's not like you haven't lied to us before, like take your Mother for instance, I believe I now know the reason for why she really left you." Rebecca started to say._

_"I mean, it's no wonder your Mother didn't want you, I wouldn't want a gay son near me either." Rebecca said cruelly to Yugi._

_Yugi froze, and just stared at her for a couple of seconds. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. One of his best friends since pre-K was hitting him where it hurt the most, his Mother leaving. That was way below the belt, Rebecca had to of known that, so why did she say it? _

_"Is that really how you feel Rebecca? You don't want to be near me, because…..I'm gay?" Yugi asked looking at the ground as he was forming the question, and then up at Rebecca when he had finished it._

_"Yes, that is how I feel." She replied haughtily._

_"I see, than from now on I'll just leave you alone." Yugi said giving her a small sad smile, while forgiving her at the same time through his eyes._

_Yugi stared at her for a second more before he saw the slim figure of a girl moving up behind Rebecca with her arms outstretched. It wasn't that hard to see what her intentions were, as Yugi's smile disappeared and his eyes widened in horror. Moving quickly, Yugi threw Rebecca on the ground and took the blow for her. _

_He felt himself fall backwards over the edge, his legs tripping him as he stumbled backwards. Yugi saw the clear brown eyes of Vivian Wong, yet the vibrant blonde hair of Mai Valentine, on his killer. He had no clue as to which girl it was under that disgusting disguise but he knew it was one of them. _

_The eyes vanished, only to be replaced with Rebecca's teal ones, staring at him in horror as he took the fall that should have been hers. Yugi knew, it was his end, his death, so he closed his eyes in acceptance, and just let himself fall._

_The last thing Yugi had expected was to land on some kind of soft cushioning, yet hard at the same time. He felt several things brake along his body, and then the most gentle of giant hands pick him up and place him upon the grass. Opening his eyes in tiny slivers, he saw the faces of Ushio and Bandit Keith looming over him, before he passed out._

[Time skip]

_There was a whirl of colors and voices all around him. He didn't know what was going on, but whatever it was it was slightly painful. Moaning, Yugi seemed to gain the attention of one of the voices. Before he knew what was happening, a slim cold object pierced his arm and his world was black again._

_The next thing Yugi awoke to was Rebecca's voice. She sounded so close, but where was she; he didn't see her in his room. Wait, where was __he__? The walls were a paisley white, the blankets and sheets matched the walls, and there was an annoying beeping sound somewhere in the room._

_"Some friends we all are to Yugi, we treat him like dirt, and then hope he'll forgive us. I'm not so sure he will this time though, do you? After all, not one of us saw that he was in any kind of danger, until he fell. It was meant to be me, he pushed me out of the way at the last minute, even after what I had just said to him, he pushed me out of the way."Rebecca replied heatedly, before speaking in little above a whisper, making it impossible for Yugi to hear what was said._

_"Hey, is this the room where Yugi Mutou is?"Yugi heard Vivian's soft voice ask._

_"Yeah, it is." Jou told her._

_"Thank you." Yugi heard Vivian reply._

_Yugi shut his eyes quickly, he didn't want to seem awake when she came in. He still didn't know if it was her or Mai that had pushed him, but something told him he was about to find out. Keeping his eyes closed, Yugi heard Vivian walk over to his bed side table and walk back out a second later. When he opened his eyes again, Jou was walking into the room._

_"Jou? Is that you? Where's Rebecca, I thought I heard her voice just now?" Yugi asked groggily from his bed, a half open eye focusing on him._

_"Oh, don't worry about her, I sent her away." Jou replied back confidently._

_Yugi squeezed his eyes shut before blinking them a couple of times to get them completely open. When they were, he turned his head to face Jou directly. He couldn't believe what he had just heard come out of his mouth._

_"I'm sorry, you what?" Yugi asked, putting a dangerous tone in his voice._

_"I sent her away." Jou replied back bluntly sitting down in a chair._

_"Yes, I got that part, what I want know is __why__?"Yugi said in a clearly annoyed tone._

_"Well, because, she pushed you, she pushed you off the roof." Jou explained, like it was obvious._

_"Tell you what Jou, why don't you go find her, bring her back and we can talk with you in the room. That way you're not disregarding your orders, whatever they are. Go find Rebecca, Jou, if she hasn't already left the Hospital." Yugi said in a low angry voice, with venom just being contained from leaking into his words._

_As soon as Jou was gone Yugi turned to his bedside table and saw a teddy bear with a white rose that had a note card attached to it. The front of the card said __'If I can't have you no one can, and if you talk I will kill everyone involved'__. That already had Yugi scared, not for himself, but for his friends. It was the back however that was the clincher. On the back was a name, a name Yugi would never forget. The person behind him falling off the roof, the person behind the rumors being spread around school most likely, the person whom had made his week hell, and was turning into a stalker it looked like. The one with whom he had had a conversation with, shortly before Rebecca being pushed off the roof. On the back was a name written in elaborate calligraphy. _

**Yes? What was it?**

**_The name…it was…it was…_**

**_WAIT! Let's stop it right here!_**

**Get out of here! No one wants your opinion!**

**_Aw, why not?_**

**Because you've tortured the readers enough, it's time for us to know who Yugi is so scared of. **

**_Pssh, the readers already know, you're the only one out of the loop Yami. So what do you think, Yugi, stop it right here?_**

**_And how will that help with your 38 chapter goal?_**

**_Ah, uh, fair enough, on with the show!_**

**Thank you, Yugi.**

**_I only said that so we could get to the next part already._**

_There written clear as day was the name Vivian Wong. Yugi had put unconditional trust in her, because she was one of Rebecca's friends, and then she went and tried to kill her? It didn't make sense. Vivian was shy, quiet, Yugi would have expected this from Mai more than her, but it was Vivian's name on the card not Mai's. Yugi suddenly became angry, Jou was supposed to protect him, and yet he had let a psycho into his room? This, Yugi didn't think he could ever forgive Jou for. Yugi's anger grew more heated when he heard Jou coming back. The moment He stepped into the room, Yugi wished he hadn't, because now he had to do something that would really hurt Jou. Then again, Jou had just hurt him, in a way that he wouldn't ever be able to imagine, so perhaps this was fates way of letting him get even in some way, even if it was so small._

_"Get out." Yugi said as soon as Jou stepped in to the room, his voice full of venom, hatred, and anger._

_"Wh-what?" Jou asked._

_"Get out of here. I never want to see you in this room again. Nor will you be allowed at my home either. You can still come to the Game Shop, that's fine by me, but never will you step a toe into the upper rooms of the building ever again. Get out." Yugi never raised his voice above a low growl out of his throat as he whipped his head around to face Jou. _

_Yugi watched as Jou just stared at him, his words slowly comprehending what it was he was saying from the look in Jou's eyes. The look in Yugi's eyes clearly saying he was not allowing himself to forgive Jou, nor would he ever be doing so. _

_Jou was taking too long to get out so Yugi slammed his elbow on the call nurse button by his head. A nurse came rushing in immediately._

_"Yes, Mr. Mutou, what is it?" the nurse asked kindly._

_"This visitor is causing me heaps of stress, and that's not very good for my recovery, now is it?" Yugi looked at Jou as he said this, his eyes shifting to the nurse on the last three._

_"Sir visiting hours are over, time for you to leave, let's go." The nurse said taking Jou by the arm and slowly pulling him out of the room._

_"But what did I do wrong?" Yugi heard Jou whisper out loud as he allowed the nurse to walk him out. As soon as Jou was out of the room, Yugi gave him an answer._

_"You let the person who wants me dead into the room." Yugi whispered back his voice still full of hate, anger, and venom._

_After that incident, Yugi asked for family visitations only. Still, it didn't stop Malik from trying to see him, he always had been stubborn. Yugi didn't want to hurt his other friend since pre-K, but Malik really didn't give him a choice in the matter. So with a heavy heart, Yugi pushed him away, when all he really wanted to do, was hold him close and cry into his chest, because he knew Malik would let him._

_"I don't care if my last name isn't Mutou, that's my friend in there and I __will__ see him!"Malik yelled from out in the hallway. _

_Yugi froze, no it couldn't be. Not Malik, he really didn't want to hurt Malik. Yugi said a short prayer for him not to get into the room, it didn't work._

_"I'm sorry sir, but I can't allow that. He has asked for family visitation only, you are not family." The nurse tried to reason with him._

_"Bull! We grew up together, that makes us family!" Malik yelled finally shoving past the nurse and getting into Yugi's hospital room._

_"Get out Malik, I don't want you here!" Yugi shouted as soon as he was in the room._

_"Well that's just too bad! Everyone wants to know why you're pushing us away! So why are you pushing us away?" Malik yelled back._

_"Because I don't __want__ you here, I don't want __any__ of you here."Yugi said back with venom and hatred in his voice._

_"Why are you acting this way towards us, to your __friends__?"Malik asked back with just as much venom._

_"What makes you think I __want__ you lot to be my friends anymore?"Yugi asked coldly._

_"What?" Malik asked softly, all of his former bravado gone. The look on Malik's face broke Yugi's heart, but he pushed on._

_"I do not want nor do I need friends. They're nothing but a liability, a liability I can no longer afford to have." Yugi sneered._

_"You don't mean that?" Malik slightly begged._

_"Don't I?"Yugi asked coldly._

_ Yugi let Malik look deep into his amethyst eyes, for any sign of doubt. There wasn't even a waver in Yugi's cold demeanor, he held strong to the same anger he had for Jou, even though this wasn't Jou. This was his closest friend besides Rebecca, but if he intended for this to work, he had to mean what he was saying. As Yugi saw Malik coming to the final conclusion that Yugi really did mean it, tears started to well up in his eyes._

_"Please leave Malik." Yugi said in a quiet voice but the force of his tone was still there._

_With tears starting to escape from his eyes and flow down his cheeks, Malik just turned and started to slowly walk out. Yugi curled up onto his side in a fetal position, tears staring to flow from his own eyes. He heard Malik hesitate when he was by the door, and whispered out the only apology he would probably be able to give the boy right before the door closed._

_ "One day, you'll understand, one day I'll be able to say I'm sorry, and mean it. Today is not that day."Yugi whispered to the quiet room his voice as light as a ghost coming out in a chocked sob._

_Then the door was shut, and Malik was gone. Yugi cried long and hard, Vivian had taken everything from him, his friends, his safety, his life. There was nothing he could do; he had already told the police he hadn't seen who had pushed him off. But he had cleared Rebecca's name by saying that he had pushed her out of the way before the other could push her over. _

_He had also, in the same day acquired the anger of the two most notorious bullies at their school. He thought he had been helping when he said that they had gotten those extra bruises and cuts from when he had fallen on them. He thought he was repaying their good deed, with one of his own. It turned out he was wrong, the two bullies had wanted to get arrested for some reason, though why Yugi had no idea. They had promised him a world of pain on his return to school, and he still couldn't fathom why. Though, his life was going so horrible, he supposed it was only fitting that it should get worse._

_Or perhaps this was some higher powers way of saying that he shouldn't have pushed away his friends, he should have kept them close. Whatever it was, Yugi was taking a hit for it, and he wasn't going to complain. He wasn't going to go back to his friends, and he wasn't going to confide in anyone his suffering. He was going to suffer alone, because being alone was the only safety he had left._

[Time skip]

_Yugi was released from the Hospital a couple of days later, and two weeks after that he returned to school. His friends were waiting for him at the usual spot, but he walked right past them and into the building. He didn't make eye contact, he didn't even say hello. The last contact he had with any of his friends was when they presented their project together, than Yugi ignored them, like they didn't exist. _

_Eventually his friends gave up trying to get him to talk about it, or just trying to talk to him in general. He treated them like they were dirt beneath his shoes, like they were nothing more than a wall, like he had better things to do. Even when he started to appear at school with bruises littering his body, he still wouldn't talk to them. He had cut himself off from their company, and had been doing so ever since._

**_Then you showed up Yami, and you changed things._**

**You made a wish to make friends; you weren't very specific on what kind.**

**_No I wasn't._**

**Is that everything Yugi?**

**_Not quite, you still need to talk to Vivian. I want to know why she did it._**

**I don't think it's her Yugi.**

**_Yes it is._**

**No, I believe it's Mai Valentine, framing Vivian Wong.**

**_No, it's Vivian, and you need her story, hers is the only one that hasn't been told._**

**I'll get her story, but Yugi, if it does turn out to be Mai, how would you respond.**

**_Vivian lied._**

**Okay.**

* * *

**Right, line, so you can tell that I'm talking now, and not Yami. In any case, thank you Sapphire for your help. No, Duke, there won't be any. This story is rated T and I have no intention of changing its rating when the story is almost done, and the rest of the plot is already complete in my mind. Thanks to every one who reviewed Guest and User alike. Thanks to everyone who have/are favorited/following this story. Please review, the more you do the faster the chapters are uploaded. Oh, and one more thing before I post this, does this feel like deja vu for anyone, with me updating so quickly like this? Midnight ;p**


	35. Vivian's part the last story

**Here it is people, the last part, the last story. Now the fun begins, now we have the finale! I do not own Yugioh, enjoy! [YAMI, ****_YUGI, _****and**_FLASHBACK_]

Chapter 35

Trying to find someone when you didn't know what they looked like was _very_ frustrating sometimes. That's what Yami was doing though; he was looking for Vivian Wong without a description. No that wasn't true, he was looking for a _girl_ with _brown eyes_ named _Vivian Wong_. Didn't Yugi know how many girls at this school had brown eyes? He would have at least appreciated a hair color too. But what was Yugi's response when he asked for that?

_"__I don't know anymore. Whenever I run into her I always look her directly in the eyes, I don't focus on anything else." Yugi said with a slightly lost look on his face._

_"__You're kidding right?" Yami asked in disbelief._

_"__No, I seriously can't remember." Yugi said shaking his head with an apologetic look in his eyes._

_"__Well Monday is going to be fun." Yami responded back sarcastically._

**_Why don't you try asking someone what she looks like?_**

**Gee, why didn't I think of that before? **

**_Nobody knows?_**

**Nobody I talked to. They had never heard of anyone called Vivian Wong.**

**_Well she is like a ghost when she wants to be, I'll give her that._**

**Yeah, well right now I want less ghost, and more real person.**

"Are you Yami Sennen?" a small voice asked from behind him.

Yami turned around and found himself facing a girl with double buns on her head, and brown eyes. She looked familiar in a way but he couldn't place where. He nodded answering her question.

"I'm Vivian Wong; you've been looking for me." Vivian stated more than asked.

**Found her.**

**_Be careful._**

"Yes, I have, do you mind if we talk after school today? Meet me in the park?" Yami asked phrasing his questions carefully.

"Not at all, you're the first person who's actually asked. So you got Yugi's story? That's not good." Vivian responded back smiling before it faded into a frown.

"Why isn't that good?" Yami asked.

"I'll explain after school, see you at the park. Plus, I'll make sure we aren't followed." Vivian said turning to leave with a determined glint in her eye.

**I still think it's Mai, Aibou.**

**_No, it's Vivian._**

Yami watched her slip away down the hall, and then turned himself and made his way back to where he had left Yugi with some of his friends. Upon coming in the lunchroom and not finding them there he went outside to the cherry blossom tree. There they all were grouped together, laughing away at something. As he came closer he heard what they were talking about.

"Seriously Yugi, you look like you're falling asleep when your eyes become unfocused like that." Marik was saying.

"I already told you, I'm not. I'm just thinking, deeply." Yugi defended himself.

"About Yami?" Bakura teased.

"What else besides my amazing boyfriend is there to think about?" Yugi said back.

"I owe him an apology." Ryou said.

"Why?" Yugi asked.

"I haven't exactly been the nicest person to him." Ryou admitted sheepishly.

"So what did Bakura do, and what was his punishment?" Yugi asked smiling a little bit.

"Well, the first time it was leaving the refrigerator open all day. His punishment for that was the couch. The second time, it was playing baseball in the house, he broke three windows. His punishment for that is sleeping on the couch for a month and replacing said windows." Ryou responded with a huffy tone.

"Aw, come on Ry, I said I was sorry." Bakura whined.

"I don't care I told you not to practice in the house, and you ignored me. Now you must face the consequences of said actions." Ryou said turning his head, only for his eyes to land on Yami.

There was an awkward silence between the two. Ryou not knowing how much he had heard, and Yami waiting for this apology. It was broken by Yugi jumping up and hugging Yami, his arms wrapped around his waist. Yami hugged him back, breaking eye contact with Ryou, of which the latter was grateful for.

"You were saying Ryou?" Yugi said pulling Yami down so he could sit in his lap, looking at Ryou meaningfully.

"I'm sorry for being a jerk Yami. It was rude and uncalled for." Ryou said sincerely.

"You're forgiven, now that I know why you were in such a bad mood in the first place." Yami said grinning at Bakura.

"Wait, how much did you hear?" Malik asked.

"Since Marik said Yugi looked like he was falling asleep when his eyes became unfocused." Yami replied nuzzling Yugi's neck a little.

"Ack! No PDA at school." Yugi said pushing him away. This action had the others roaring with laughter.

"Denied!" Bakura shouted while laughing.

"Yugi, you're not supposed to deny affection." Marik joined in.

"What are you talking about Marik; I deny you all the time." Malik said in Yugi's defense winking at him. Marik sure stopped laughing pretty quick as Bakura's grew louder.

"Hey, Yugi, do you have a ruler?" Ryou asked.

"For Bakura, did he lose his again?" Yugi asked in a joking manner.

"Yes, he has." Ryou said back grimly.

"Here you go Ryou, he can borrow mine." Yugi said handing the slim wooden object over to him.

"Thank you Yugi." Ryou said taking it and bowing slightly.

Ryou than did something Yami wasn't expecting. He lifted the ruler up high and brought it back down on Bakura's leg, with a resounding _SMACK!_ Bakura's laughter cut off immediately. Yami just watched as Ryou handed the ruler back to Yugi, and he put it back in his bag. From the way that Malik looked as if he was holding back laughter, this probably wasn't out of the norm in the old days.

"So how long have you two been dating Bakura and Ryou?" Yami asked in a curios voice.

"Since I discovered we shared a name, and how adorably cute Ryou was." Bakura answered back.

"Since fourth grade for me, and sixth for him. We met through Malik, who already knew Marik, who had pranked Kaiba for something stupid." Ryou explained further.

"It wasn't stupid. It had to do with honor and pride!" Marik said in an offended tone.

"No Marik is right Ryou, it wasn't stupid." Yugi said.

"Thank you Yugi." Marik said in gratitude.

"It was incredibly stupid." Yugi went on to say, like he hadn't even heard Marik.

"Thanks." Marik said with no gratitude this time.

"You're welcome." Yugi said smiling brightly.

"What did you do?" Yami asked Marik.

Marik opened his mouth to answer when the bell rang, signaling they had to get back to class. Yugi got off of Yami's lap and helped him up. Though, once Yami was up, Yugi still didn't release his hand. Yami wasn't complaining he liked holding Yugi's hand.

"Another time perhaps." Marik said looking at him. Yami nodded in agreement.

The group walked back into the building, and started to make their way to their separate classrooms. Marik and Bakura kissed their boyfriends before heading off to class. Ryou went down a separate hallway, and Malik, Yugi and Yami went down another.

The rest of the day passed in a blur for Yami and Yugi. Both were anxious, but for different reasons. Yugi was afraid that Vivian might try to do something to Yami, when she had him alone. Yami was determined to prove his theory that Vivian had been framed by Mai.

Yugi split ways with Yami after school, though a little reluctantly. Yami offered to walk Yugi home, but he said it was better if Vivian didn't see them together. She was a little psychotic, jealous, harlot. Yami hadn't even know Yugi _knew_ that last word, and blinked at his retreating back in amazement before making his way to the park.

Yami had been waiting at the park for a good half hour, and was thinking that perhaps Vivian Wong decided to bail, when a blur of black hair and pale skin suddenly grabbed his wrist and started dragging him further into the park. While being dragged further into the park away from prying eyes, Yami noticed that the person whom had him was Vivian Wong. Where was she taking him, was the first question that went through his mind before she shoved him between some bushes, quickly following after.

Yami recognized the enclosure they were in; it was Yugi's hiding spot. Apparently he wasn't the only one whom had discovered its hidden alcove. Vivian had too, and now that they were face to face, Yami could get a better look at the girl.

Vivian's hair was a mess, she had a cut on her right cheek, which was bleeding a little bit, and she was breathing heavily. Her eyes had a wild look to them, and they kept darting form him to look outside of the bushes enclosure, almost like she was expecting someone to jump out at any moment. That look alone gave Yami enough cause to encase this little hideaway in shadows again. Now no one could get in or out of the alcove of bushes they were in, they couldn't even be seen. If anyone passed by this spot it would simply look like a grassy hill underneath the trees.

"Are you alright Vivian?" Yami asked with genuine concern.

"I'm sorry I'm late. I had to shake someone off." Vivian said with fear in her voice. If Yugi feared Vivian, who did Vivian fear?

"Who?" Yami asked.

"Not important. What is important is for the information I have to finally be out in the open. I only hope you can forgive me, for all that I helped her do." Vivian said shaking her head before lowering it in shame.

"I heard Yugi in the Library telling his friends that he was going to tell Rebecca that he liked her. I immediately became jealous, and went off to tell my best friend Mai. We told each other everything you see, so why wouldn't I tell her this too?" Vivian started to explain with sorrow in her voice.

_"__That little tramp, I can't believe we're actually hanging out with her. Well, at least she doesn't know your name yet, only your face, barely. I mean Anzu just invited her to sit with us last week." Mai ranted as soon as Vivian told her what she heard._

_"__Should we tell Rebecca, give her a heads up?" Vivian asked._

_"__No, you should follow Yugi around, so that way we can warn her whenever he's near. As for this information, __I'll__ tell Rebecca." Mai said quickly. Vivian could already see a plan forming in her head._

_"__Okay, Mai!" Vivian replied cheerfully back._

"If only I had known just how deeply we would have been involved in the days to come, I would have told Mai no, right then and there. As it was, I had no idea as to just how far Mai would take things." Vivian said a few tears slipping down her cheeks.

_"__YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO WATCH HIM AT ALL TIMES VIVIAN! NOW YUGI HAS GONE AND TLOD HER, AND WHO KNOWS IF SHE SAID YES OR NOT!" Mai was screaming at Vivian._

_"__I don't think she did, because I just heard Ryou telling Jou, that Yugi had a date with Malik this Friday. Though, Jou said that something didn't seem right and that they should just keep this between the two of them until they got all the facts." Vivian said back quietly, afraid of Mai's anger._

_"__Really? This is perfect, okay don't tell anybody about this Viv, let me take care of it." Mai said smiling in a very sinister way before running off._

"If I had known that she was going to spread it throughout the school, I would have never left her alone. Though, the next day, I heard Rebecca and Yugi fighting in the Library. As soon as Rebecca left I saw the look of hurt on Yugi's face and followed Rebecca out. I know it was childish of me, and not to mention vindictive, but I purposefully scared her. I followed her into the bathroom, and glared at her through the mirror, before retreating into one of the stalls to give her a chance to leave. When I came out of the bathroom I ran into Yugi. When he asked me where she was, I answered him honestly, I told him I didn't know. " Vivian said more tears streaking down her face. Either Vivian was a good actress, or what she was telling him had her legitimately upset.

"When I next ran into Yugi it was to tell him that Rebecca was up on the middle roof. He said a casual statement to me, and that's exactly what I took it for. A casual, careless, statement, but Mai had other ideas about it. She seemed to think that it meant that Yugi wanted Rebecca out of the picture permanently. I really had no idea as to what she planned to do, but I tried my best to follow and stop her. I ended up on the wrong roof though, and saw everything that Mai did." Vivian was shaking with suppressed sobs.

_Vivian watched in horror as Mai snuck up behind Rebecca arms outstretched towards her. Though, before Mai could touch her, Yugi yanked Rebecca out of the way and stumbled obvert h edge himself. She watched Mai watch Yugi fall for a moment before leaving the roof. She saw Honda seeing Mai's grand escape, and as means to distract him left the roof top, slamming the door behind her. She ran into Mai, demanding an explanation._

_"__What were you thinking Mai? You could have killed Rebecca, instead you almost killed Yugi!" Vivian cried in tears._

_"__Shut up Vivian, we just need a different story, and you're going to tell it." Mai said back harshly._

_"__No I'm not! I'm going to the authorities to tell them that you tried to kill Rebecca Hawkins only to almost kill Yugi Mutou instead." Vivian retorted back._

_"__You do that, and I will have already called them before you step foot in their facilities. I'll tell them it was you and you're only trying to blame me, after all it's always the quite ones isn't it?" Mai said back whipping out a phone and looking at Vivian in an unpitying way._

_"__You're the worst friend in the world!" Vivian said back distraught._

_"__So here's what the real story is._ _You were up on the highest rooftop, and were looking for Ryou, but what you saw was __much__ worse. You saw Rebecca __push__ Yugi off the roof, Honda didn't see much of it, just the tail end where Rebecca was looking over the edge, but you saw the __whole thing__. Then describe that it was awful; you never want to see anything like that ever again. I'll handle the rest, now to go feed this to somebody.__" __Mia said concocting up a story on the spot._

"We could hear Jou and Kaiba yelling at one another, and Mai just smiled and pulled me over to them. She told me along the way to start acting like I was having a panic attack. When we got to them; I fed them the lie, and prayed that Kaiba could tell that I was lying. I kept hoping he would confront me or something, but he never got the chance, Mai tore me away before he could say a thing." Vivian explained looking away, tears still flowing like rivers down her face.

_"I don't know Mai, what if someone finds out?" Vivian was saying._

_"As long as you keep your mouth shut, no one's going to know." Mai said back._

_"But just say someone does." Vivian said back frantically._

_"Vivian, this is our dirty little secret, and no one's going to find out I promise." Mai said back in a reassuring voice._

_"So you'll take care of it?" Vivian asked back._

_"Of course." Mai said back confidently._

_"Okay, I trust you, my twin." Vivian said with relief flooding her voice._

_"As I do you, my twin." Mai said back._

"I saw Kaiba out of the corner of my eye before we left. I couldn't have been more thankful that he knew something was wrong, and hoped he would investigate into it. He never did, something I was a little disappointed at, to tell you the truth. A couple of days later Mai gave me a postcard to sign my name on. She told me she had already put her name on it, and to take it to Yugi as a get well gift. I did, and when I told Mai I had, I wished I had lied to her instead, and thrown that stupid bear away, when she told me what it really was." Vivian said in a defeated voice.

_"__Good, now he'll think you're threatening his friends if he doesn't keep his mouth shut about what happened. Plus, knowing Yugi, and his habit to always put others before himself, he will." Mai said in a triumphal snobby tone._

_"__You framed me?" Vivian asked in an incredulous whisper._

_"__Well, I couldn't frame myself silly that would be ridiculous." Mia said back laughing heartlessly before walking off._

"She's kept a close eye on me and Yugi ever since. She's angry that you came into the picture, and you and Yugi seemed to be the perfect pair. Congratulations by the way, and I'm the one who told the freshmen that you were dating. I'm sorry, but I saw Mai seeing you guys kiss, and I just didn't want Yugi to push you away too. I wanted to give him a reason to protect you and the friendship you two could possibly have. So I made up a rumor that you were dating, I never in my wildest dreams expected Yugi to go along with it. I have to get home now; my Father will be worried about me." Vivian said standing up.

Yami retracted the shadows, and Vivian walked away. Once Vivian was gone, Yami used the shadows to get home, and ended up in Yugi's room. Since the boy wasn't in it, Yami investigated the kitchen to find him cooking dinner.

Once Yugi had turned off the stove, Yami spoke up, he knew this wasn't going to go well, Yugi had told him as much Friday, but he had to try. Vivian wasn't lying, he could see it in her eyes, and hear it infer voice. All that was left was for Yugi to believe it too.

"Yugi, Mai is your stalker, Vivian was framed by her." Yami said to Yugi quietly. The reaction was instantaneous.

"You're lying!" Yugi shouted whipping around.

"Give me one reason I would need to lie?" Yami asked calmly.

"Vivian lied to you! She's good at lying!" Yugi shouted again, running past him and into his room, slamming the door shut. Yami sighed and calmly walked towards the door knocking on it.

"Yugi, shutting the door won't keep me out; you should know this by now." Yami said through door.

Yugi wasn't listening he was staring at the puzzle that he had just yanked off of his head. Hadn't Yami said when they first met, that only he could take it off? So then, why had Yugi been able to, just now? What else had Yami lied to him about? Yugi wasn't going to stick around to find out. Yugi threw the puzzle on his bed and using the skylight, Yugi got up on the roof, and maneuvered himself around the house until he was by his Grandpa's room, and climbed down the vines that lined the house there.

As soon as his feet hit the ground a car came screeching to a stop behind him. Before he could even turn to look behind him to see who it was; Yugi's vision went black. The person picked him up, and shoved him in the trunk and drove off. This happened in the short amount of 45 seconds, and in those 45 seconds, Yami was just walking through Yugi's corner in his bedroom.

Yami was met with a horrifying sight. There sitting on Yugi's bed, looking as innocently as could be, was the puzzle. Yugi must have taken it off, and then taken off himself. Considering he wasn't in the room. Picking it up, Yami just stared at it, like it was the most hated object in the world.

Yami sighed as he sat on the bed, the puzzle in his hand. He couldn't believe Yugi had actually taken it off, and now he was gone. Could this day get any worse, Yami thought as his eyes closed.

"Yugi I'm home!"

**Oh, Ra, what's Yugi's Grandpa going to do when he discovers it's Yami whose home, not Yugi? Sigh, such a wonderful cliffhanger. Last chance to decide, is it Mai or Vivian? For in the next chapter, YOU. SHALL. KNOW. Thanks to everyone who reviewed Guest and User alike. Thanks to everyone who have/are favorited/following this story. Please review... Midnight ;p**


	36. Mystery broken

**Okay, here it is. It's kind of short, but we now only have two chapters left. As promised you all shall know by the end of this chapter who it is. I do not own Yugioh, or Try by Pink. Oh, and I have a poll on my profile page, vote for which story you want me to work on next. Enjoy! **

Chapter 36

_"__Yugi I'm home!"_

Yami's eyes snapped open. _Now_, now his Grandpa decided to come home? He'd been gone for a little over two weeks, and he decides _now_ to come home? That man had the worst or best timing depending on the angle you looked at it from.

"Yugi? Are you here?" Grandpa called up the stairs.

"Ah, yeah Grandpa!" Yami called out frantically.

"Are all right Yugi? You sound different." Grandpa called out walking up the stairs.

"Ah, p-puberty finally kicked in whilst you were gone!" Yami stuttered nervously.

"What are you talking about Yugi? You already hit puberty when you were 14." Grandpa said walking down the hallway.

"Ah, don't come in! I'm sick!" Yami grappled for an excuse.

"Yugi, what are you-?" Grandpa started to ask opening Yugi's bedroom door to see Yami sitting on the bed looking completely frazzled.

There was a deadly silence as the two took each other in. Yugi had gotten his shortness from his Grandfather's side obviously, as well as his amethyst eyes. Grandpa could see that while this man sitting on his Grandson's bed bore a remarkable resemblance to him, it wasn't his Grandson. His grandson didn't have crimson eyes, sharp features, extra blonde bangs, and when the youth were to stand up, Yugi wasn't that tall either. Yami broke the awkward and stiff silence first.

"Uh, hi." Yami said laughing nervously.

"I see my Grandson finished the puzzle." Grandpa said his eyes trailing to the object in Yami's hands. Yami looked down at it.

"Yeah he did, and I was dubbed Yami Sennen, it's nice to meet you." Yami said fiddling with the object before looking back up, and stretching his hand out.

"It's nice to meet you too, Yami. Where is my Grandson?" Grandpa said looking around for a moment before looking directly into Yami's eyes when he formed the question.

"We had a fight and he left." Yami responded pointing up to the open skylight.

"Then why aren't you looking for him?" Grandpa asked his voice instantly becoming as cold as water that sat under ice.

"He'll come back." Yami said.

"Are you sure? Because coming in I saw tire skid marks outside the house." Grandpa asked his voice still cold.

That was the only words Yami needed to bolt out of the room pushing past Yugi's Grandfather, and running down the stairs. Yami rushed through the living room and Game Shop and came to a screeching halt by the road outside of the Game Shop. There they were, just as Grandpa had said, big black tire tracks. Looking around, Yami also found drops of fresh blood on sidewalk.

Why? Why did Yugi always have to go missing or get hurt on his watch? He couldn't leave him alone for a second without something happening to him. It wasn't fair, why did Yugi have to suffer to such a maximum? Why couldn't Yami do a single thing right for once? Why?!

With heavy feet and heart Yami walked back into the house to see Grandpa talking on the phone with someone. He heard him give the person on the phone a description of Yugi's appearance, and looked over to Yami when he came back in the room. Grandpa left Yami alone in the Game Shop as he went upstairs to talk away from him. Yami wouldn't want to be around him either if he lost his only family. Yami flicked on the radio, and listened to the song playing.

_Oh oh_

_Ever wonder about what he's doing?_  
_How it all turned to lies?_  
_Sometimes I think that it's better to never ask why_

_Where there is desire_  
_There is gonna be a flame_  
_Where there is a flame_  
_Someone's bound to get burned_  
_But just because it burns_  
_Doesn't mean you're gonna die_  
_You've gotta get up and try, and try, and try_  
_Gotta get up and try, and try, and try_  
_You gotta get up and try, and try, and try_

Yami stood up from the stool, this song was right, he couldn't sit around doing nothing, he had to try. He had to try to find Yugi. Yugi had been put under his care for a reason, and now he needed to own up to his mistakes.

_Eh, eh, eh_

_Funny how the heart can be deceiving_  
_More than just a couple times_  
_Why do we fall in love so easy?_  
_Even when it's not right_

_Where there is desire_  
_There is gonna be a flame_  
_Where there is a flame_  
_Someone's bound to get burned_  
_But just because it burns_  
_Doesn't mean you're gonna die_  
_You've gotta get up and try, and try, and try_  
_Gotta get up and try, and try, and try_  
_You gotta get up and try, and try, and try_

Flame, that was how he was going to put an end to all of this, he was going to create a flame. How, Yami didn't quite yet know, but that was what he was going to do. He was going to end all this suffering and fear with an open flame.

_Ever worry that it might be ruined  
And does it make you wanna cry?  
When you're out there doing what you're doing  
Are you just getting by?  
Tell me are you just getting by, by, by?_

_Where there is desire_  
_There is gonna be a flame_  
_Where there is a flame_  
_Someone's bound to get burned_  
_But just because it burns_  
_Doesn't mean you're gonna die_  
_You've gotta get up and try, and try, and try_  
_Gotta get up and try, and try, and try_  
_You gotta get up and try, and try, and try_  
_Gotta get up and try, and try, and try_  
_Gotta get up and try, and try, and try_  
_You gotta get up and try, and try, and try_  
_Gotta get up and try, and try, and try_

Yami walked out of the front door, and started to try to contact Yugi through the mind link. It didn't matter that Yugi didn't have the puzzle on. They were connected through their minds and souls. All Yami had to do was find Yugi, and then figure out how to create an open flame with what was around him.

_You gotta get up and try, and try, and try  
Gotta get up and try, and try, and try_

[With Yugi]

Yugi woke up to lying on a cold cement floor, with chains wrapped around his body. Blinking to take in his surroundings, Yugi noticed that he was in the old car warehouse in the slums of Domino. Yugi tried to move, this was a mistake as something started to whir over his head. It didn't take Yugi long to discover what that noise was for as he was lifted into the air by the chains wrapped around his entire torso. His feet dangling beneath him as he was held in the air at an uncomfortable angle, like you saw in the movies with the villain dangling their victim over a pot of some boiling substance. It was lucky for Yugi that there actually wasn't a pot beneath him, just cement.

While Yugi was dangling there he felt slight pain and pressure on and in his head. Like he had missed a lot of phone calls on his cell phone and he was only just now getting them. Yugi shook his head as he tried to concentrate on the slight poking feeling he was experiencing.

**Gi…**

"Looks as if our sleeping beauty is finally awake. It only took you two hours to waste my time by doing so Yugi." A sharp familiar voice rang out in the silence of the warehouse.

Yugi's head snapped up, causing his neck to protest in pain, if that slight crack he heard was anything to go by. Yugi's eyes fell on a pair of slim legs, with purple heels. Following those legs up Yugi came across a curvy body, wavy blonde hair, and cruel violet eyes. He should have really listened to Yami.

**Yugi…**

**_I'm sorry Yami. I was wrong, you were right, it is…_**

"Hello…Mai Valentine." Yugi said sorrowfully.

**Yep! It was Mai, the witch! Again I have a poll up on my profile page, so take a look at it please. Thanks to everyone who reviewed Guest and User alike. Also, thanks to everyone who are/have following/favorited this story. Please review! Midnight ;p**


	37. Rescuing Yugi

**I love you guys! Ya'll gave me 22 reviews! I'm so happy! Well, here is the second to last chapter. I can't hardly believe the next chapter is the end of this story. I feel like I'm gonna cry. Oh, and I apologize for the vulgar language in this chapter, but a lot of the characters got really angry for some reason. As usual, I do not own Yugioh, enjoy! I need a tissue... [YAMI, and ****_YUGI_****]**

Chapter 37

"What do you want Mai?" Yugi asked warily.

"Nothing, yet. No, all I want is for your _precious_ boyfriend to show up. He has a _nasty_ habit of doing so when I _least_ want him to." Mia said back vindictively.

"I don't think that's going to be happening this time." Yugi said as he looked down and remembered that he left the puzzle at home on his bed.

"Oh, he will, I'm sure of it. He always seems to know where you are." Mai replied back folding her arms across her chest.

**Yugi? Yugi, I can feel that you're awake, tell me where you are.**

**_No._**

"No he's not." Yugi replied back sadly.

"Yes he will! Or Vivian here will take punishment for his crime of butting in to places where he doesn't belong!" Mai said flicking on a light.

Yugi's head snapped up to see Vivian hanging in a similar position that he was in. Chains were wrapped around her torso as well, and she too was suspended in the air. Vivian was worse for wear than he was though, bruises and cuts littered her neck and what little of her legs that Yugi could see. He didn't even want to think of what the rest of her body looked like.

"Vivian?" Yugi called out fearfully.

Vivian's head slowly rose to Yugi's voice, and Yugi was horrified with what he saw. One of Vivian's eyes was swollen shut, and there were many lacerations on her face. They trickled out blood, every one of them. She smiled painfully at him.

"You know that old saying Yugi? Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer? I think I might have kept my enemy too close to me." Vivian said in a hoarse voice.

**Yugi! Tell me where you are!**

**_You'll only get hurt. I don't want you to get hurt._**

"HOW COULD YOU DO THIS?! SHE IS YOUR BEST FRIEND! THAT'S JUST SICK!" Yugi yelled at Mai.

"_Was_, actually, but that's right you don't know, do you?" Mai said smiling and laughing slightly.

"Know what? Explain it to me!" Yugi spat out.

"Why everything I did, for us Yugi. So we could be together." Mai said sincerely.

**Damn it Yugi! This is no time chivalry!**

**_Quiet Yami, I'm gathering information._**

**Information on what?**

**_Listen._**

With that simple word, Yugi let his barriers come crashing down. He let Yami hear and see all he could, he trusted Yami, with his entire soul, heart, mind, and body. He _trusted_ Yami.

"What did you do?" Yugi asked gently.

"Well, I spread that rumor about you and Malik dating. It spread through the school like a wildfire. I tried to push Rebecca Hawkins off the roof, but you _messed_ that up. You almost ended up dying yourself. I sent that bear and rose to you, with that special message. I wanted the roof accident to be our moment and our moment _alone_. But you had to go and tell your bloody boyfriend about it. You had to ruin everything by telling _him_!" Mai's voice started to rise in anger, but Yugi was a quick thinker.

"I'm sorry Mai, so sorry. I didn't know; if you had only told me, of course I would have kept a secret between us." Yugi said putting in a bit of charm to his voice. It worked as Mai continued to tell Yugi all she had done.

"Well, I attempted to run you over with that car, but Jou pushed you out of the way. I paid Ushio and Bandit Keith to beat you up on a regular basis, so your spirit would be broken. That was the only thing that actually seemed to work. When they went crazy about how the shadows were out to get them, I hired Satake and his two lackeys to take care of you next. They ended up in the Hospital with more injuries than a deer that's been slaughtered. So last I tried to resend you the gift, but you _talked_ to your boyfriend the same day." Mai explained the rest of what she had done.

**Where are you Aibou?**

**_The old Domino car warehouse, it's in the slums of Domino._**

**I'm halfway there; keep the link open, please.**

**_I wouldn't dream of closing it now._**

**I love you Yugi.**

**_…_**

**Yugi?**

**_I have to focus on the task at hand Yami._**

"You paid them? You paid them to beat me nearly senseless twice a month?" Yugi asked slowly and carefully, trying to keep his voice even.

"Yes. But I must say, you pushing your friends away like that was quite the little bonus for me." Mai said smiling in that sick way again.

"You said you'd hurt them." Yugi replied back.

"No, I said if you talked I would kill everyone involved. Yami and Vivian is the party involved here. You're friends had nothing to do with it. They didn't know I was involved, but thanks to Vivian, Yami now knows, and so do you." Mai said smiling.

Yugi stared at her in horror for a few moments as the information sunk in. He didn't have to push away his friends? He didn't have to hurt them like he did? He could have kept them?

"THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN SAFE!?" Yugi screamed that last thought out.

"Yes, Yugi, they would have been safe." Mai said back calmly.

"YOU VINDICTIVE CONIVING LITTLE BITCH! YOU RUINED OUR FRIENDSHIP JUST FOR YOUR OWN PERSONAL AGENDA! HAVE YOU NO SHAME FOR YOUR ACTIONS?!" Yugi continued to scream at Mai why twisting and turning in his bonds.

**Yugi! Calm down! Yelling at her isn't going to get you anywhere!**

**_Like hell! She destroyed our bonds of friendship! She broke us apart._**

**Just calm down, I'm almost there.**

**_Make sure you rescue Vivian too, when you get here. I want to be able to tell her I'm sorry._**

**Okay.**

Yugi was crying, with silent tears making tracks down his face. They fell in endless rivers, and no matter how many times he squeezed his eyes, they didn't stop flowing. Yugi took in deep breaths to try to calm himself down, Yami was right, yelling would get him nowhere.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, Yugi, do you really want to talk that way to the person who can just let you drop to the floor at the push of a button. Be careful, you don't want to upset me, I might do something drastic in my anger." Mai mocked Yugi's shaking form.

"Leave him be Mai! Your vendetta is with me! I gave Yami the final piece of the puzzle, not him!" Vivian's voice rang out behind Mai.

"Oh, Viv, I almost forgot about you. Thank you so much for reminding me that you're here." Mai said turning her back on Yugi and walking toward Vivian with a sickly sweet voice.

"Don't. Touch. Her." Yugi's voice rang out next.

"What is it with you two? Have you decided to gang up on me?" Mai asked with mock disbelief.

"Don't even try that Mai." Vivian said in a bored voice.

"Shut up Vivian!" Mai ordered.

"No." Vivian said. It was so short, so simple, but held so much defiance; even Yugi was surprised by it.

"What did you say?" Mai asked with an angry disbelief.

"You heard me, I said _no_. I'm tired of listening to you. You know I don't even believe we were ever friends. I think I was just your play thing until something more interesting came along." Vivian said with a sudden realization in her voice nodding in Yugi's direction.

Mai's head whipped around in Yugi's direction. It was good thing too, because at that moment a familiar shadow wrapped around Vivian and she disappeared within its depths. Leaving the chains to rattle soundlessly, as their previous victim of captivity was released from their binds. Yugi knew that shadow very well, it was the same one that was in his bedroom, which must mean that Yami was here, or at least close by. Yugi looked down to Mai, smiling in way that would have made Yami proud of him, he was sure.

"Lose something Mai?" Yugi jeered quietly looking across the room.

Mai whipped back around and her body tensed at seeing the chains that were formally around Vivian clattering to the ground, their victim gone. She turned to look back at Yugi, to find him still hanging where he was supposed to be. She couldn't help but smile that Yami had rescued Vivian before his boyfriend. She supposed that they weren't that close after all.

"It looks like he cares more for her than he does you." Mai said back laughing in her own sick way.

"I wouldn't be so sure of that if I were you, Mai." Yami's voice rang out from all around them.

Its suddenness had both Yugi and Mai looking around for its source. Upon not finding it, Mai produced a knife out of her jacket pocket and lowered Yugi until he was right in front of her, the blade pressed harshly against his throat.

"Come any closer Sennen, and I'll slice him up." Mai called out.

"Actually, that's where I wanted Yugi, thank you. Now I can get down to business. Get ready for hell, because that's exactly where I plan on sending you Mai." Yami replied back like it was no big deal before his voice became as cold as winter.

"I'm warning you!" Mai called out shakily. It was difficult to appear brave and in control when you couldn't see your adversary. A humorous chuckle was her only reply.

**_You're going to leave me here with her?_**

**I was never in the room Yugi, I was simply using my shadows to manipulate the ones already currently in the room. Vivian is safe, I sent her home with the Mystical Elf for company.**

**_Thank you. What are you planning to do?_**

**Light her up.**

[With Yami]

As soon as Yami sent that thought to Yugi he put up mental barriers of his own. He knew Yugi had a heart of gold, and he didn't want Yugi to know about the dangerous thing that he was doing. He knew that Yugi didn't like Mai, but was his dislike enough to kill Mai? No, Yami knew that Yugi wouldn't approve of what he was doing, but it was something that had to be done. If he didn't do it, this would never end, that he was sure of.

Yami wandered around the warehouse until he came across the wires that he had seen earlier. He didn't really know anything about wires, but he knew that sparks were dangerous around the right things. Looking around, Yami found some old wooden boards and piled them up around the protruding wires.

Bending down, Yami used some Shadow Magic, until the two wires began to spark, and land on the wooden boards around them. Once a small fire was going, Yami found some old newspapers to get it really going. The paper caught to flame, instantly and by dropping them on the wooden boards, the boards too began to become engulfed in flame. Standing up, Yami smiled at it in a satisfactory way before beginning to make his way to where Yugi was.

Yami could feel the heat of the fire he had created constantly pressing against his back with each step he took. He didn't dare look around; for fear that the fire might be catching the building more quickly than he had originally intended it too. Still, Yami didn't run he only walked towards his intended destination.

Opening the door that he could feel Yugi's presence behind, Yami was slightly shocked when a rush of smoke flowed into the room as well. It made it almost impossible to see Yugi, but he could still see him. Yugi was coughing and hacking, as was Mai, but the knife was no longer pressed against Yugi's neck. It was lying on the ground near his head. She had probably dropped it.

Yami quickly moved forward and wrapped him up in his shadows; he transported them both out of the warehouse and a good distance away. Yami placed him on a bus stop bench and left Kuriboh with him. Yugi was out cold, and Yami only hoped he would be okay until he returned. Yami then transported himself back to the warehouse to watch, to make sure, that Mai perished in that fire.

Yami watched from the shadows, only his crimson eyes showing, as he watched Mai slowly choke to death on the smoke. He watched as she stopped breathing. He continued to watch as the flame came and licked away at her body, until the smell of burning flesh filled the room, and made Yami want to retreat. He stayed though, until Mai was a charred mass of muscle, bones, flesh, and pieces of clothing.

Then, and only then did Yami retreat to the place where he had left Yugi. He was surprised to see Bakura there, at the bus stop. Bakura looked up at him as he approached. He nodded at Yami, and then walked away. Yami had the funny feeling, that Bakura had known what he had done, but decided not to question it. If Bakura wasn't going to bring it up, than neither was he.

Yami picked up Yugi in a bridal position and carried him all the way home. Yugi was holding Kuriboh like a teddy bear the entire way. When Yami arrived home, he walked right past Yugi's Grandfather's sleeping form on the couch and upstairs to Yugi's room where the Mystical Elf stood waiting for him.

Yami placed Yugi on the bed, and gently eased the Kuriboh out of his arms allowing the Mystical Elf to heal him. Yugi squirmed a bit during the process, but other than that he remained asleep. Once the Mystical Elf was done, she returned back to the Shadow Realm. Kuriboh however, decided that he like being Yugi's personal teddy bear and sat back on the boy's chest. The result was instant as Yugi's arms came up around the small fuzz ball, to hug it snugly to his chest.

Yami couldn't help but smile at the cute scene as he climbed into bed behind Yugi, tucking them both in. He wrapped his arms around Yugi and pulled him close to his own chest, falling asleep almost instantly after doing so. Yami didn't stay awake long enough to see Yugi's Grandpa check up in on them. He smiled to see his Grandson and protector safe where they were both supposed to be. At home, safe and sound in bed. Though, Yugi's Grandpa would have preferred to see them in _separate_ beds, he supposed it was better than nothing.

"Thank you Pharaoh, good night Yugi." Grandpa whispered to the sleeping couple before slipping out of the room as quietly as he came in.

**[sniff, blow] Oh, are we at the bottom already? Right, my poll is going got be up until I've posted two chapters for each of my other two stories. Then I'm planning to take it down, because by then everyone who would have wanted to vote should have been able to. Thank you to everyone who are/have following/favorited this story. Also thanks to everyone who reviewed Guest and User alike. Please review. Midnight ;p **


	38. Talking with Larry

**Here we are at the end. Ra, it feels as if I just started this yesterday and now it's over. I want to thank phantomworks who unknowingly gave me the courage to write a story of my own in the first place. This one's for you. I could have never guessed that it would become so popular. Thank you everyone who read my story, it was quite an adventure. I do not own Yugioh, enjoy the last chapter! [YAMI, and ****_YUGI_****]**

Chapter 38

"Yami…Yami…Yami!" Yugi's voice penetrated Yami's dreams.

Yami slowly opened his eyes to see Yugi staring at him, with Kuriboh perched on top of his head. Yugi's hair appeared to be deflated by the extra weight that Kuriboh was creating by sitting in his hair like a bird did a nest. Yami couldn't help it, he started laughing.

"Stop that. He won't go home, he seems determined to stay here with me." Yugi pouted.

"Well, Yugi, I think he likes being your own personal teddy bear." Yami replied still laughing.

Yugi shook his head dislodging the unprepared Kuriboh, but it was Yugi's next action that shocked Yami more. Yami's laughing was abruptly cut off when Yugi smashed their lips together. Yugi put all of his emotions into that kiss, as he deepened it, pressing Yami into the mattress below him.

Yami was amazed at Yugi's intensity. He felt so many emotions pouring in from both the kiss and the mind link. Before he could grasp one, another had replaced it. Yami supposed all of this was coming from the fact that he had almost died yesterday.

"I love you too." Yugi said breathlessly as he pulled away from the kiss.

Yami was silent for a few beats before he flipped their positions, making him the one on top. He stared down at Yugi and leaned down for another kiss closing his eyes. Imagine his surprise when he found himself kissing fur instead, and hearing Yugi's laughter pulsing through the room.

Snapping his eyes back open, he found that he was kissing Kuriboh's cheek. Yami half heartedly glared at the monster, as he propped himself up on his elbow. Yugi was right; it was time for Kuriboh to return to the Shadow Realm now.

"Get out of here Kuriboh, Yugi's happy again; there is no reason for you to be here." Yami said nodding his head towards the darkest corner of the room.

"Krii." Was Kuriboh's response.

"Go." Yami said firmly.

Kuriboh got up and floated towards the corner where he disappeared into the dark depths. Feeling satisfied, Yami looked down to Yugi, only to find him gone. Getting up, Yami frantically whirled around spotting Yugi by the door to the bedroom, leaning against the frame.

"We still have school you know." Yugi said calmly before walking into the bathroom

"Aw, can't we skip it?" Yami whined.

"No, because I have things I need to do at school today, things that are unavoidable." Yugi replied back before shutting the bathroom door.

**There are more school days this week. Can't you do these things those days?**

**_No. Now get ready for school, unless you want my Grandpa fussing over you._**

**You know he's back?**

**_Yeah, I went into the kitchen earlier this morning before coming to wake you up. We're having chocolate pancakes with smiley clown faces, my favorite._**

**As long as I don't have to make them, it's okay with me.**

**_When have you ever made them?_**

**The day you were high on pain killers and claiming to be five.**

**_Oh. Sorry, I was probably really picky._**

**Yes, you were.**

**_Just get ready Yami. I'll meet you in the kitchen alright?_**

**You mean alone? In the kitchen? With your Grandfather?**

**_Don't worry we've already covered the basics, and came to the conclusion that if there is any biting involved I'll be the one to deliver the bites._**

Yami was silent as he felt his face heat up. Yugi had never talked like this before, so maybe he was healed somewhat in his mind. Still, that comment was a little embarrassing to Yami, and he worked to fight down the blush as he got dressed and made his way out into the kitchen.

Yami stopped as he saw the kitchen in disarray. It seemed that even Yugi's Grandpa had trouble making these pancakes. Yami couldn't help the small chuckle that escaped his lips.

"You could help." Grandpa said turning to the noise.

"No, I've dealt with making these pancakes once before and that was enough for me." Yami said walking into the room and taking a seat.

"Were you a mess afterwards?" Grandpa asked smiling.

"Is there any other way to make these pancakes?" Yami asked right back.

"No, no there isn't." Grandpa replied putting three separate perfect pancakes on three different plates.

He took off the apron that said world's best duelist trainer, and sat down across from Yami. It was quiet for a while until Yugi walked in to the room and saw the pancakes. The silence was shattered as Yugi squealed with delight.

"Oh, Grandpa, you're the best!" Yugi said rushing over and hugging the old man.

Yugi sat down in his chair in between the two, and then only just noticed the awkward silence. Looking from one man to the other, Yugi came to the conclusion that neither knew what to say. That or they had somehow breached every conversation in the world and just managed to somehow burn through all of them in five minutes time. Yugi highly doubted this though.

"What's wrong with you two? Neither of you are this quiet usually." Yugi asked before pooping a pierce of pancake into his mouth.

"Don't know what to say." Grandpa responded honestly.

"Same here." Yami concluded.

"Well you had best get used to each other's company, because you're going to be spending time in it for many years to come." Yugi said popping another three pieces into his mouth.

"Well, then we need a few ground rules. Yami, the guest room is now your room; I suggest you get used to sleeping in it. I don't want to see you in my Grandson's room anymore, ya hear? Also, if you boys ever feel the need to get close, don't do so in front of me. I don't want to see it. that's all I can think of right now, but don't worry I'll let you know if I think of anymore." Grandpa said in a stern don't mess with me voice.

"Yes Grandpa." Yugi said right away, kicking Yami under the table making him wince.

"Yes, Yugi's Grandpa." Yami said pulling his legs in closer to his chair.

"You may call me Solomon or Grandpa, Yami." Grandpa said.

"Okay, Solo-Grandpa." Yami started to say before switching titles at the glare he was receiving from the elder.

"We have to go Grandpa, we'll see you later!" Yugi said suddenly yanking Yami from his chair and pulling him toward the door, grabbing both of their bags on the way.

"Yugi, I didn't get a chance to eat!" Yami complained.

"Well we need to get there early." Yugi said back.

"Why?" Yami asked.

"I have things I need to do." Yugi replied back cryptically.

"What kind of things?" Yami asked.

"Things, things I need to do on my own." Yugi said back.

"I don't think so, Yugi." Yami said lowering his voice a bit.

"Why not? I mean Mai's dead, there is nothing in this world for me to fear anymore." Yugi said back quietly.

Yami stopped walking pulling Yugi to a halt as well. He stared at Yugi for a few moments, wondering how the boy knew. It must have shown on his face, because Yugi answered him.

"When you're torturing someone, you tend to leave the link wide open Yami. I don't think you even notice it. I dreamed about her death, though, I don't feel upset, instead I feel kind of relived, that it's all over. She can't hurt me anymore; I'm safe, because of _you_." Yugi explained gently rising a hand to cup Yami's left cheek.

"Okay, but I'll be watching." Yami said leaning into the touch.

"Okay." Was Yugi's response before kissing Yami gently.

**I love you Yugi.**

**_I love you Yami._**

Yami smiled into the kiss. When they pulled away, both just stared into each other's eyes, before continuing to walk down the street towards school. When they approached the building, Yugi released Yami's hand and disappeared into the early morning crowd. It made Yami's heart squeeze a bit from Yugi being out of sight, but he could feel that Yugi felt the need to do whatever it was he needed to do. It was Yami's job to let him do it.

[With Yugi]

Yugi knew he was getting a lot of weird looks by sitting in Vivian Wong's desk, but this was something he felt he needed to do. He needed to apologize to her, and he needed to do it alone. To prove to himself he was no longer scared of the wrong person. Yugi looked up as he heard someone's footsteps falter at the door.

There stood Vivian looking at him in shock and surprise. He didn't blame her; he would have felt the same way if someone who had made a point to avoid him for three years suddenly sought him out. Getting up Yugi made his way over to her, grabbing her hand, he gently led her out of the room and down the hallway a bit. Once he was good distance away, he turned to face her.

"I'm sorry." Yugi said right away.

"Oh Yugi, you don't have to-" Vivian started to say before Yugi held up his hand.

"Yes I do. I wrongfully accused you when I should have confronted you to ask why. That was my fault, and I'm sorry for it. I was wrongfully scared of you as well. I'm sorry for this too. At least neither of us has to worry about Mai Valentine anymore, she's dead." Yugi said sincerely with every bit of meaning his words backed up in his voice.

"Yes, I saw it on the news this morning it was a bit of a relief, but Yugi, wasn't I injured yesterday?" Vivian agreed before confusion took over her voice.

"Yes, but I think Yami had something to do with that. He's been healing my injuries lately too." Yugi said with a wry smile.

"Thank him for me? I'm glad my Father didn't see the marks she inflicted on me, he would have been out for blood." Vivian said relief in her voice.

"There wouldn't have been any left for him to have." Yugi said back.

Vivian laughed, and Yugi couldn't help but join in. Making jokes about things you feared helped to relive tensions. Eventually there laughter died down, and they were enveloped in an uncomfortable silence.

"Well, I should probably get back to class." Vivian said shifting her feet.

"Yeah, me too. I'll see you around Vivian!" Yugi said turning and walking away.

"See you Yugi." Vivian said quietly before turning and walking back to her classroom a small smile of glee on her face.

Yugi walked down the hallways until he was outside Jou's classroom. This one was going to be harder, but he needed to do it. Stopping one of Jou's classmates before they entered the room, he asked if they could get Jou for him. Yugi waited all about two seconds before Jou was out in front of him.

"Hi Jou." Yugi said shuffling his feet.

"What is it Yug'?" Jou asked making Yugi stiffen a bit.

"I want to try to rekindle our old friendship. It's going to be difficult, with plenty of road blocks, but I want to try." Yugi said as bravely as he could.

"Of course Yugi, I'd like that more than anything." Jou said back in slight surprise.

"Okay, then would you like to go to the arcade with me this Thursday?" Yugi asked after releasing a breath he hadn't known he had been holding.

"Yeah, I'll see you there buddy!" Jou said before walking back into his classroom.

Yugi nodded at the spot that Jou had been standing in, and continued on his way to his classroom. There, two things were done, now he only had two left. Yugi stopped outside Rebecca's classroom and asked a classmate of hers to get Rebecca for him. She came out more slowly that Jou had. Yugi wasted no time in getting down to business.

"Do you still want to be friends Rebecca?" Yugi asked immediately after the door was shut.

"I don't deserve to be your friend Yugi." Rebecca said back quietly.

"But do you?" Yugi asked again.

"Of course, more than anything." Rebecca said back in earnest.

"Then it's settled." Yugi said holding out hand for her to shake.

As soon as Rebecca grasped his hand she was pulled into a hug. Rebecca hugged Yugi back, it had been so long since she had done so, and she hadn't realized how much she missed it. Rebecca found herself crying into his shoulder before long, with Yugi just holding her now.

"It's going to take you a while to earn back my trust Rebecca, but I know that you never back away from a challenge." Yugi said into the weeping girl's hair.

"Okay, I deserve that for all the pain I put you through." Rebecca said as she tried to control her tears.

Finally pulling away, Rebecca had a few tears dripping from her eyes, but other than that she had mostly stopped crying. Yugi wiped away what little tears remained before suggesting that they both head off to class, as the warning bell rang. Rebecca hadn't realized how long she had been crying.

Walking back to his class, Yugi felt accomplished in his morning, something he hadn't felt in long time. Walking into the class he was met with a smiling Yami, and an annoyed looking Malik. Sitting down, he frowned at the two.

"What happened?" Yugi asked.

"Your boyfriend that's what!" Malik said grumpily.

"What did you do?" Yugi asked turning to the other.

"What makes you think I did anything?" Yami asked still smiling.

"Because you're smiling in a proud way." Yugi responded.

"All I said was that I know who pushed Yugi off the roof. And then I think he assumed I was going to tell him who it was." Yami said propping his feet up on the desk and leaning his chair back closing his eyes.

Yami probably should have kept his eyes open. If he had he would have seen Yugi mouthing to Malik to kick the chair that Yami was sitting in. As it was, Yami was quite surprised when he toppled back out of his chair and onto the floor.

"I think you leaned back too far Yami." Yugi said innocently looking down at him.

"Heck yeah, Yugi is back!" Malik said raising his hand for high five; Yugi didn't leave him hanging as he leaned over the Yami's desk to reciprocate it.

"Let the pranking resume." Yugi said a devilish look in his eyes as he turned back around to face the front as Kuru Sensei came into the room.

The day flew by as Yugi made plans with all of his old friends, Yami watching nearby in wonderment and slight surprise. Mai was gone; Yugi had nothing to fear anymore. Yugi only had one more major thing to do on his own, and this was something that was long overdue.

Yugi managed to shake Yami, as he made his way home. Though, Yugi didn't actually go home with Yami, instead he headed towards Domino Middle. There was one more thing he needed to do, before he felt like he had repaid back all of his old debts.

Making his way through the old building that held both so many happy and horrifying memories for him, Yugi felt anticipation as he saw the person he was looking for near the old bench under the cherry blossom tree. It looked as if Larry was taking his usual break now, making it the perfect time for them to talk.

"Hey Larry." Yugi called out once he was about two feet away from the man.

Larry looked up at the familiar voice. He hadn't heard it directed at him since before Yugi was pushed of the roof. A wind whistled through the trees above him as he just sat there drinking in the sight of Yugi.

"Come to finally tell me how your day went Yugi?" Larry asked.

"Nope, I've come to tell you a story, if you're game enough to hear it?" Yugi responded back.

"Oh, you know me Yugi; I could never resist a good story." Larry said back smiling and patting the spot on the bench next to him.

"Good, because this one is full of betrayal, jealousy, friendship, trust, and love." Yugi replied smiling and taking a seat next to the man.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Start the story already; it sounds as if it will be dramatic." Larry said chuckling a bit.

"Well it all started with me discussing with you whether or not I should tell Rebecca how I feel about her. Once upon a time..." Yugi said before starting the story with a true classical line.

_The end_

**Thanks again everyone for accompanying me on this exciting ride. It's been a blast. As usual I would like to thank everyone who have/are favorited/following this story. Also, thanks to everyone who reviews Guest and User alike. You brought me many laughs. See you all in a different story. Midnight ;p**


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